In a landmark policy shift, the United States on Monday, August 24, 2026, officially rescinded Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SST), lifting a severe legal barrier that had choked foreign investment and isolated the nation’s economy for nearly five decades.
​The formal determination was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Department of State following the conclusion of a mandatory 45-day Congressional notification period, which President Donald Trump initiated on July 8 on the sidelines of the NATO summit.
Concurrently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removed the ruling group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list.
​Syria had remained on the terrorism list since December 29, 1979. The designation imposed severe prohibitions on U.S. foreign assistance, foreign defense sales, dual-use exports, and standard global banking transactions.
In an official statement issued Monday, Rubio declared the rescission “another historic step by President Trump to give the Syrian people a path to prosperity.” He added that eliminating the designation “eliminates the final major barriers for private sector investment in Syria and promotes Syria’s economic recovery and reintegration into the global economy.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirms updates to OFAC’s sanctions registry in Washington, Bessent noted that “Treasury is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to give the Syrian people an opportunity to build greatness,” emphasizing that cleared banking access will directly encourage critical foreign enterprise.
U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Posting from Ankara, Türkiye, Tom Barrack praised the breakthrough as a decisive transition from “isolation to partnership”. “Capital can replace conflict, enterprise can replace isolation, and commerce can continue to triumph over chaos,” Barrack stated, calling the decision a cornerstone for a new bilateral relationship built on security and shared economic growth.
​The decision follows extensive diplomatic engagements with Syria’s post-Assad government led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Washington highlighted Syria’s structural security shifts over the past year, noting its formal entry into the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in November and joint regional operations against extremist networks.
​Monday’s removal caps a series of U.S. economic rollbacks, following the June 2025 termination of broad Syrian sanctions programs and Congress’s repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in late 2025.
The move grants international financial institutions and global corporations immediate clear legal standing to assist in rebuilding the country’s damaged infrastructure. Five Injured as Rival Transport Unions Clash in Kwara
​Violence broke out in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Monday, August 24, 2026, leaving at least five individuals hospitalized with severe injuries following a clash between competing transport union factions.
​The morning disturbance caused widespread disruption across key commercial districts in the state capital, forcing local traders and commuters to scramble for safety as the confrontation escalated.
​Incident Summary
​Time & Date: Monday morning, August 24, 2026.
​Affected Areas: Idi-Araba and Itakudimo corridors of Ilorin.
​Casualties & Losses: At least 5 persons wounded; over 100 tricycles reportedly seized.
​Unions Involved: National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) vs. National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), and Tricycle Owners’ Association of Nigeria (TOAN).
​Unfolding of the Violence
​Eyewitness and local resident Mr. Mubaraq Bello reported that the peace of the neighborhood was shattered when armed youths disembarked from several tricycles and stormed the regional headquarters of NARTO around the Idi-Araba and Itakudimo axes. The assailants, wielding cutlasses, stones, and blunt weapons, launched a targeted strike on the facility and union operators nearby.
​According to NARTO member Abubakar Olatunbosun, the assault occurred while their representatives were en route to the State Police Headquarters in Ilorin to address ongoing administrative disputes. Olatunbosun directly implicated members of the NURTW, RTEAN, and TOAN in the coordinated attack, claiming the coalition forcibly confiscated more than 100 commercial tricycles belonging to NARTO operators.
​Among the injured was Lukman Iyanda, who suffered a broken arm after being ambushed while operating his vehicle in Itakudimo, and Abdulwasiu Jamiu, whose tricycle was forcefully seized during the melee.
​Appeals for Calm
​In the aftermath of the incident, NARTO executive Abubakar Olatunbosun called on the Kwara State Government and security agencies to step in immediately, recover the seized transport assets, and restore order. He reaffirmed that NARTO members have intentionally refrained from launching reprisal attacks to preserve peace in the state.
Security teams have since been dispatched to monitor key transit points and deter further violence.
