A Symbolic Step: Arab Country Removed from U.S. List of Rogue States

The U.S. Senate has voted in favor of removing an Arab country from the list of nations considered by the United States as “rogue states.”

The “rogue states list” is an unofficial designation adopted by successive U.S. administrations since the 1990s, and it carries no legal consequences.

In a largely symbolic move, the Senate approved a resolution to strike Syria from the “rogue states” list, signaling a potential shift in Washington’s approach to Syria in the post-Bashar al-Assad era.

The White House announced that Syria is no longer included on the politically driven “rogue states” list.

In a post on its official Arabic-language page on the platform X (formerly Twitter), the White House noted that Syria had previously been listed alongside countries such as Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela — but is no longer part of that group.

Despite being removed from this unofficial list, Syria remains officially designated as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” by the U.S. State Department since 1979. This legal classification imposes ongoing, severe sanctions, including a ban on foreign aid, export restrictions, and strict financial and trade limitations.

It is important to distinguish the official “State Sponsor of Terrorism” designation — which carries binding legal consequences — from the more informal and politically motivated term “rogue state,” which serves to justify U.S. foreign policy positions but lacks legal authority.