Trump signals plan to remove Syria from US terrorism sponsor list

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he expects to remove Syria from the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism, telling reporters ahead of the meeting, "I think I will. Why wouldn't I?" Trump praised Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as having "done a great job" and called him a strong, respected leader who unified a country that was "a real mess, very disjointed." Trump also said the country had "become very stable," adding, "it's really been stabilized, and we're proud of that."

Syria has held the terrorism sponsor designation since 1979, a label carrying restrictions on US foreign assistance, defense exports, and certain financial transactions. Its removal would open the door to normalized economic relations and could unlock further international investment in the war-battered country.

Al-Sharaa thanked Trump for "the historic decision to lift the sanctions," saying "the entire Syrian people thank President Trump." Trump last month signed an executive order ending the US sanctions program on Syria, building on Washington's pledge to help rebuild the country, with Saudi firms and other Gulf states pledging billions in investment.

Trump gave a more cautious response when asked whether Syria could take on Hezbollah in Lebanon, a role he had floated at last month's G7 summit, saying only "they could help, we'll find out," and adding "I think we're making a lot of progress." Separately, he told reporters he believes Syria "could help with Hezbollah" and Lebanon, without elaborating.

Al-Sharaa, a former commander in al-Qaeda's Nusra Front who cut ties with the group in 2016 before leading the coalition that toppled Assad, has previously said he has no interest in confronting Hezbollah.

Also at the NATO summit, Trump said he believes Israel wants to withdraw its troops from southern Lebanon, telling reporters, "I think they want to."