Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa paid for a cup of coffee with a Visa card in Damascus to mark the country's reconnection to the global financial system. The US State Department removed Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism on Monday, ending a listing that had stood since 1979. This decision effectively allows American financial institutions to service Syrian clients and process payments involving Syrian banks. The move is seen as a "green light" for reconstruction investment, with measures remaining against ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad's associates and human rights abusers.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-27,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Here is a summary of the news story:
Syria has been removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, a designation that had been in place since 1979. The decision was made by the US State Department and took effect after a 45-day congressional review triggered by US President Donald Trump's notification to lawmakers. The removal of Syria from the list is seen as a significant step towards rebuilding the country after years of civil war. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, accompanied by central bank governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan, marked the occasion by paying for a coffee in Damascus with a Visa card. This simple transaction was previously impossible due to economic sanctions. The US also removed the designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a former paramilitary group led by al-Sharaa, as a terrorist organization. The Treasury Department announced corresponding sanctions relief, which is expected to encourage investment and support Syria's economic recovery.
Written for “Syria Removed From Terror List” on 2026-08-31,
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Leaning score withheld for article 2824: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-08-27
Syria's president paid for a coffee in Damascus with a Visa card this week to mark the country's removal from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism and the reconnection of its banks to the global financial system.
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president → pay → system
A cup of coffee in the Old City of Damascus became Syria's chosen symbol of global economic reintegration.
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cup → become → reintegration
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, accompanied by central bank governor Mohammed Safwat Raslan, tapped a Visa card at a café in a video posted by an official government account to mark Washington's decision to strike the country from its terrorism blacklist.
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Sharaa → accompany → blacklist
"For more than 15 years, this simple transaction was impossible," the accompanying post read.
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post → accompany → years
Raslan called the delisting "a historic step that restores the country to its natural place in the global economic system."
What sanctions were lifted?
The US State Department rescinded Syria's designation as a state sponsor of terrorism on Monday, ending a listing that had stood since 1979.
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that → call → 1979
It took effect after a 45-day congressional review triggered by US President Donald Trump's July notification to lawmakers.
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It → take → lawmakers
The decision came alongside the removal of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the former paramilitary group that led the offensive resulting in the fall of the al-Assad regime in Syria, from a specially designated global terrorist list.
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that → come → list
Most US sanctions had already gone before.
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sanctions → go → ?
The comprehensive programme was terminated in mid-2025 and Congress repealed the Caesar Act — its most severe secondary sanctions regime — in a December 2025 defence spending bill.
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Congress → terminate → bill
However, the terrorism designation carried restrictions on financial transactions that continued to deter banks and investors.
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that → carry → banks
The US Treasury has since confirmed that American financial institutions may service Syrian clients, process payments involving Syrian banks and establish correspondent banking relationships.
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institutions → confirm → relationships
The action "will help foster additional investment in Syria to promote political and economic stability," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.
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Bessent → help → stability
Delisting amounts to "effectively, a green light" for reconstruction investment, according to Tellimer, a Dubai-based emerging markets research firm, which expects banking, technology and telecommunications to gain most from restored SWIFT access.
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banking → delist → access
Measures remain against ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad's associates, human rights abusers and captagon traffickers, and Syria is still on the G7's Financial Action Task Force grey list over money-laundering concerns.
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Syria → remain → concerns
Where the EU stands
Brussels has moved alongside the US when it comes to lifting sanctions on Syria.
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it → stand → Syria
The European Council lifted all economic sanctions in May 2025, retaining only those imposed on security grounds, including arms and technology that could be used for internal repression of the population.
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that → lift → population
It went further this year.
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It → go → ?
On 11 May the Council restored full application of the EU-Syria Cooperation Agreement, suspended in part since 2011, and held its first high-level political dialogue with Damascus since before the civil war.
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Council → restore → war
A week later it renewed measures against figures linked to the former regime until June 2027 while de-listing seven entities, among them the interior and defence ministries now run by the transitional authorities.
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it → renew → authorities
