Barrack: Washington to observe Sharaa before removing Syria from list of terrorism-supporting states

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said Thursday that Syria will remain on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism until interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa takes concrete steps, local media reported.

This statement comes a few weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a decree formalizing the lifting of U.S. sanctions against Damascus. This measure, presented as a new step in the rapprochement between the two countries after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, was announced in Riyadh on May 13.

The U.S. president had then declared his intention to "give a chance for greatness" to the new Syrian authorities. The next day, he spoke with Sharaa, the interim president from the rebel coalition led by the Islamist group Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which overthrew the regime last December. Since then, Washington has lifted or eased a large part of its economic sanctions to allow Syria's return to the international financial system and encourage foreign investments.

Barrack said he "has confidence in Ahmad al-Sharaa's sincerity," considering that "his goals for Syria are consistent with those of the United States and its allies." He emphasized the importance of building a Syrian state that "includes all components of the country" to ensure stability and security.

Regarding the investigation into the murder of an American citizen in Sweida, Barrack noted that the Syrian administration "is fully cooperating with the FBI." The incident dates back to July, when a collective execution carried out in downtown Sweida was filmed and then posted online by one of the perpetrators. The events took place in a context of intercommunal tensions pitting Sunni Bedouin tribes, supported by government forces, against Druze factions. A Syrian-American citizen was among the identified victims.

On the subject of relations between Syria and Israel, the U.S. envoy stated that no agreement has yet been found on the nature of these relations, while admitting that Israeli intervention in Syria complicates the situation. In early July, however, Damascus declared itself willing to cooperate with Washington to return to the 1974 agreement with Israel. The Jewish state has been conducting airstrikes in Syria since December 2024 and has deployed troops in the demilitarized buffer zone of the Golan, in violation of that agreement, according to the UN. Damascus has not responded and acknowledged having conducted indirect talks with Israel aimed at reducing tensions.