Syria removed: Which countries are still on the US ‘terror’ list – and why?

EXPLAINERThe US decision leaves three nations – Cuba, Iran, and North Korea – on its ‘State Sponsors of Terrorism’ blacklist.US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during a bilateral meeting alongside the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkiye [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]Published On 26 Aug 2026The United States has removed Syria from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT), marking another major shift in Washington’s relationship with the country following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December 2024 at the end of a brutal 14-year civil war.“Today, Syria shakes off a dark stain and tears away a painful chapter of its past to embark on a path of development, reconstruction and rebuilding,” Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in a speech on Tuesday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Syria’s civil society navigates post-Assad era: Partnership or control?list 2 of 3‘Barrel bomb mufti’ sentenced to life in Syrialist 3 of 3US removes Syria from ‘state sponsor of terrorism’ listend of listUS President Donald Trump had announced the planned removal in July, which had been in place since 1979. It took effect following a 45-day congressional review.The US “terrorism” designation had triggered restrictions on foreign assistance, defence exports, certain financial transactions and the transfer of some dual-use goods – products which can have military uses, as well.It can also cause banks and companies to be wary of doing business with a country because of the legal and compliance risks involved. The removal of Syria leaves Cuba, Iran and North Korea as the only countries currently on the US “terrorism blacklist”.Why was Syria removed?Syria had been on the SSOT list since 1979, when the government of Hafez al-Assad was accused by Washington of supporting armed groups opposed to Israel.The designation continued when his son, Bashar al-Assad, assumed power in 2000 and lasted for the entirety of his rule, which came to an end when he was overthrown in a lightning strike on Damascus by rebel groups led by al-Sharaa in December 2024. Al-Assad and members of his family fled Syria and are currently under supervisory asylum in Moscow.In July this year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision to remove Syria from the list came following “formal assurances” from the Syrian president that the country will not “support acts of international terrorism in the future”.Washington has also praised cooperation between al-Sharaa’s government and the US against the ISIL (ISIS) armed group, which had, at various points, seized control of swaths of Syrian territory between 2013 and 2019, during the civil war.Al-Sharaa previously led the al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaeda affiliate, before breaking ties in 2016.The “terrorism-sponsor” designation had remained a major obstacle for potential investors in Syria even after Washington dismantled its broader Syria sanctions programme in 2025.Rubio has said lifting the designation will “unlock international trade and investment” and give Syria a chance to rebuild.Sina Azodi, assistant professor of Middle East Politics at George Washington University, told Al Jazeera that being removed from the list brings “many benefits”.“It will make access to the US-dominated international financial and banking system easier,” Azodi said. “All of these will help trade relations, investment and diplomatic relations more attractive.”Which countries are still on the US ‘terrorism’ list, and why?IranIran has been designated a “state sponsor of terrorism” by the US since 1984, following the Iranian Islamic revolution and the deterioration of relations with Washington.The US continues to accuse Tehran of supporting armed groups across the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon, Yemen’s Houthi group and a variety of groups in Iraq and Syria. The designation has led to the sanctioning of Iran’s government, financial system, military and oil industry.On Monday, the US announced sweeping new economic sanctions on Tehran and entities in other countries which the US says facilitate trade with it, in a bid to isolate the country from the global economy amid a diplomatic deadlock during the current US-Israeli war on Iran.CubaUS relations with Cuba have remained fraught since the Cuban revolution in 1959, when Fidel Castro overthrew the US-friendly President Fulgencio Batista.The country was first placed on the “sponsor of terrorism” list in 1982, with Washington accusing Havana of supporting armed revolutionary groups.President Barack Obama removed Cuba from the list in 2015 during a brief diplomatic thaw. However, towards the end of his first term as US president, Trump restored the designation in January 2021.The following Joe Biden administration announced in January 2025 that it intended to remove Cuba again, saying there was no information supporting the SSOT designation. However, Trump reversed that decision after returning to office.Since January 29, the Trump administration has also imposed a crippling fuel blockade against Cuba and threatened trade tariffs against any country that exports fuel to the island nation.North KoreaNorth Korea was first placed on the US SSOT list in 1988, largely because of its role in the bombing of Korean Air Flight 858 in 1987, which killed all 115 people on board.Washington removed North Korea from the list in 2008 as part of efforts to negotiate over its nuclear programme, but restored the designation in 2017 during Trump’s first term.It has remained subject to extensive US sanctions largely because of its nuclear and missile programmes, weapons proliferation, and other security concerns.Which other countries face sanctions?In addition to its “state sponsor of terrorism” list, the US government has various sanctions programmes in place against countries, companies and individuals.Russia is heavily sanctioned by the US for its war in Ukraine. The US has resisted placing Russia on the “terror list”, however, despite calls from some lawmakers since the Ukraine war began in 2022.Earlier this month, the US Senate passed a package that imposes up to 100 percent tariffs on major nations importing Russian oil and gas. The measure, if passed by the House of Representatives, would affect countries like China and India, which are key importers of Russian petroleum products.In the US’s own hemisphere, Venezuela has faced extensive US sanctions, including on its leaders and oil industry, most notably under Trump’s second term.In December, in a new round of sanctions, Washington targeted four companies and their associated oil tankers, allegedly involved in transporting Venezuelan oil. Petroleum is Venezuela’s primary export.Trump defended the sweeping sanctions as a means of combating the illegal drug trade, even though Venezuela exports almost none of the fentanyl that the administration has made a central focus of its crackdown.In January 2026, former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were abducted in a US military operation, after longstanding tensions between Washington and Caracas finally boiled over.The Venezuelan presidency has since been filled by interim President Delcy Rodriguez, who has aligned the country more closely with US interests, which include control over the country’s oil industry. In April, the US lifted personal sanctions on Rodriguez, who Trump has described as “a terrific person”.The US also eased sanctions imposed on Venezuela’s central bank and has issued temporary sanctions relief in the form of waivers authorising US companies and individuals to conduct business in some areas of Venezuela’s oil, mining and financial sectors. These waivers can be cancelled at any time, however.