WASHINGTON DC - The United States on Thursday cautioned that Syria is “at a crossroads,” reaffirming its intention to give the country “a chance at greatness,” amid reports that President Donald Trump has ordered a review of Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST).
Responding to a question from Rudaw about a possible reversal of Syria’s SST status, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott reiterated the positions of President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack, saying, “We want to give Syria a chance for greatness,” especially as it “is at a critical crossroads here when it comes to the ability to achieve that.”
Pigott added that Washington is in dialogue with “all stakeholders in the region” regarding the matter.
Earlier on Thursday, a State Department official confirmed to Rudaw that the SST designation is under review, per President Trump’s directive.
“Several steps would need to be taken by both the Department [of State] and the President should the decision be made to remove the SST designation,” the official said, noting that US law outlines strict statutory criteria for doing so.
Syria’s designation as an SST has been in effect since 1979. The status was initially based on the regime of toppled Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s support to groups like the Iran-aligned Lebanese Hezbollah movement, as well as its permissive stance toward other organizations labeled Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) by the US State Department.
The SST designation brings significant sanctions, including bans on defense exports and foreign aid. Lifting it would ease those restrictions.
Asked about dialogue between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Syria’s interim government, Pigott referenced the US Special Envoy to Syria’s remarks on the matter.
Barrack recently welcomed SDF chief Mazloum Abdi’s remarks that communication channels with the Syrian government are open daily, expressing approval of "the unity of Syria with one army and one flag" and the centralization of some sovereign institutions in Damascus.
Speaking to Saudi’s state-owned al-Arabiya channel, Abdi added that the SDF aims to "become part of a new Syrian army" through a political solution that guarantees their constitutional rights.
Barrack praised Abdi’s leadership, calling it “pivotal to a stable Syria of one army, one government, one state,” and described the ongoing dialogue as “constructive.”
Pigott’s remarks follow comments Tuesday by State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, who reaffirmed US support for “dialogue between the Syrian government and the Syrian Democratic Forces aimed at integrating the SDF into the Syrian military.”
“We also support the SDF’s intent to transform the current ceasefire in northeast Syria [Rojava] into a comprehensive and lasting peace,” Bruce said.
The SDF, which serves as the de facto military force in Rojava, played a pivotal role in the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2019 and continues to hold thousands of ISIS fighters in detention.
On March 10, Syria’s interim President Sharaa and SDF chief Abdi signed an agreement to integrate all civil and military institutions in Rojava - including the Kurdish-led forces - under the authority of the Syrian state.
However, implementation talks remain ongoing, as diverging views on the integration process pose a key challenge. While the SDF seeks to enter the Syrian army as a unified entity, Damascus prefers to incorporate SDF fighters individually into its existing military units.
Despite this, Qutaiba Idlbi, director of American affairs at Syria's foreign ministry, confirmed to Rudaw on Wednesday that the two parties are set to meet “soon” in Paris to finalize the terms of integration.
