Syria–United States relations
bilateral relations between United States and Syria
Diplomatic relations between Syria and the United States began in 1835, suspended in 2012 after the onset of the Syrian civil war, and reopened in September 2025. Priority issues between the two states include the Arab–Israeli conflict, the Golan Heights annexation, alleged state-sponsorship of terrorism, etc. As of 2026, the United States had begun to work with the new Syrian government after the collapse of the former regime under the Assad family and relations have improved.
The US government added Ba'athist Syria, which seized power in 1963, to its first list of "State Sponsors of Terrorism" in 1979, over its funding of Palestinian and other insurgent factions in the region. Syria is the only country from the original 1979 list to remain continuously on the list to the present day, in large part due to its support of Hezbollah. From the period of the "war on terror", the U.S. government has imposed a series of economic sanctions on Syria. These include legislatively mandated penalties, including export sanctions and ineligibility to receive most forms of U.S. aid or to purchase U.S. military equipment.
After the government crackdown on 2011 Syrian revolution, the US (alongside the European Union and Arab League) withdrew diplomatic recognition of Bashar al-Assad and imposed further sanctions against his government. According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, through a poll conducted during the Syrian civil war, 29% of Syrians approve of U.S. leadership, with 40% disapproving and 31% uncertain.
From the early stages of the conflict in Syria in 2011, the US and its allies have provided political, military and logistic support to the Syrian opposition and demanded the removal of Bashar al-Assad from power as a pre-requisite to any political solution in the country.
The public source identifies “Syria–United States relations” as bilateral relations between United States and Syria. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Syria, United and States.
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