Shafaq News..President Barzani links Syria’s terrorism-list removal to closer Iraq ties

Shafaq News-
Erbil

Kurdistan
Region President Nechirvan Barzani on Tuesday welcomed the US removal of Syria
from its list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, calling it an important step
toward the country’s recovery, stability and stronger ties with Iraq, including
the Kurdistan Region.

Barzani said
the move could help Damascus regain its “natural role in the region and the
world” and build “a secure future that safeguards the rights of all components
of Syria.”

أرحب بقرار الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية رفع اسم سوريا من قائمة الدول الراعية للإرهاب، وهي خطوة مهمة لدعم تعافي سوريا واستقرارها وازدهارها، وتعزيز عودتها إلى دورها الطبيعي في المنطقة والعالم.نأمل أن تسهم هذه الخطوة في بناء مستقبل آمن يحفظ حقوق جميع مكونات سوريا، ويفتح آفاقًا أوسع…

— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) August 25, 2026

The US State
Department announced Syria’s removal from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list
on Monday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the move came “in recognition of
the positive actions” taken by transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa to “fully
distance Syria from acts of international terrorism.”

Syria had
been on the US list since 1979, when Washington designated the government of
former President Hafez al-Assad over its support for militant groups. The
designation remained throughout the rule of his son Bashar al-Assad, who was
ousted in December 2024 by opposition forces led by al-Sharaa.