'I think we should': Trump says US will remove Syria from state sponsors of terrorism list

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would remove Syria from the US State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, signalling a potential shift in Washington’s approach towards Damascus.

Trump made the remarks during a bilateral meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on the sidelines of a Nato conference in Ankara.

According to a Times of Israel report, when asked about the possibility of removing Syria from the terrorism list, Trump turned to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and said, “Any problems with that?” as Rubio sat beside him.

“I think we should. Yeah, I will,” Trump added, indicating his support for the move.

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Trump was also asked whether he still wanted Syria to assist in efforts against Hezbollah, an idea he had previously raised amid concerns over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

The proposal had received a largely negative response from various quarters.

Responding to the question, Trump struck a more cautious tone, saying Syria “could help.”

“We’ll find out. I think we’re making a lot of progress,” Trump added.

The remarks come as the Trump administration continues to reassess its policy towards Syria and broader regional security dynamics in West Asia.

With inputs from agencies