Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa was recently seen using a Visa credit card, a transaction previously impossible in the country, following the U.S. State Department's decision to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. The move allows Syria's re-entry into the global financial system.
Al-Sharaa appeared to purchase a beverage during a meeting with Syria's central bank governor, Mohammed Safwat Raslan, in a video released by the government. A post on X from the Syrian Response account stated, "For more than fifteen years, this simple transaction was impossible. Today, in the oldest continuously inhabited capital in the world, Syria’s return to the global financial system became a fact."
Raslan referred to the delisting as "a historic step that restores the country to its natural place in the global economic system." The Syrian government has been working to re-engage with the international community as it focuses on reconstruction after years of civil war.
Syria had been on the U.S. state sponsor of terror list since 1979. President Donald Trump's administration had been working to wind down sanctions on Syria over the past year and a half. Trump met with al-Sharaa in Turkey last month, where they discussed the prospects of Syria's removal from the list. The delisting officially concluded after a 45-day congressional review period.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially removed Syria from the list on Monday. "This action unlocks new potential for Syria’s economic revitalization and progress," Rubio stated. "The Trump Administration continues to advance U.S. national security to achieve peace, prosperity, and security in the Middle East."
The designation had previously cut Syria off from the U.S. financial system and barred the country from military exports and critical foreign aid.