The US is set to remove Syria from the long-standing list of so-called "rogue states", as well as the list of state sponsors of terrorism.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week approved a bipartisan decision to no longer include Syria as an officially designated rogue state, maintained by the National Institute for Middle East and North Africa.
The list, which has been used by the US for nearly three decades, targets countries accused of hostility to American interests, support for terrorism, pursuit of weapons of mass destruction, or serious human rights violations.
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the committee, announced the decision, saying: "I am pleased to see the committee adopt my amendment to remove Syria from the National Institute for Middle East and North Africa's list of 'rogue states', which includes Iran, Russia, and North Korea."
In a post on the platform X, she added: "Syria must continue to distance itself from its past affiliations and move towards democracy, stability, and security."
The list currently includes countries such as Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Venezuela, and had previously included Iraq, Libya, and Sudan. Under the designation, the US government is barred from cooperating with listed countries in areas such as civilian nuclear energy.
In a parallel development, US envoy to Turkey and Syria Tom Barrack announced that President Donald Trump intends to soon remove Syria from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Barrack made the statement during a visit to Damascus on 29 May, during which he held meetings with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Foreign Minister As'ad Al-Shibani.
Barak stated that "the main goal of the US administration is to empower the current government in Damascus", signalling a significant shift in American policy following years of diplomatic isolation and sanctions.
During the visit, Barak and Syrian officials reportedly discussed a range of issues including US sanctions and the future of Syrian-American relations.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has taken several steps in support of Syria’s new leadership. Most notably, President Trump announced from Saudi Arabia on 13 May that the US would lift sanctions on Syria in an effort to aid the country’s recovery and support stabilisation efforts.
Additionally, in the coming days, a high-level US military delegation will travel to Syria to formalise the US military presence in the country.