View source for State Sponsors of Terrorism

{{Short description|U.S. designation applied to certain countries}}
{{About|the designation that the United States Department of State maintains|the general concept|State-sponsored terrorism}}
{{Too few opinions|date=February 2016}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2015}}
[[File:SSoT.svg|thumb|upright=1.35|{{Legend|#000000|United States}}{{Legend|#da8282|Countries listed by the [[U.S. Department of State]] as sponsoring terrorist activities}}]]
"'''State Sponsors of Terrorism'''" is a designation applied to countries that are alleged to have "repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism" per the [[United States Department of State]].<ref>{{UnitedStatesCode|22|2656f}}</ref><ref name=state>{{cite web|url=https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/|title=State Sponsors of Terrorism|website=www.state.gov|access-date=June 26, 2019|archive-date=May 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190515205932/https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/|url-status=live}}</ref> Inclusion on the list enables the [[Federal government of the United States|United States government]] to impose four main types of [[United States sanctions|unilateral sanctions]]: a restriction of foreign aid, a ban on weapons sales, heightened control over the export of [[Dual-use technology|dual-use equipment]], and other miscellaneous economic sanctions.<ref name="auto">{{Cite journal |last=Sanford |first=Melissa |date=January 2020 |title="This is a Game": A History of the Foreign Terrorist Organization and State Sponsors of Terrorism Lists and their Applications |url=https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1140&context=history-in-the-making |journal=History in the Making |volume=13 |issue=10 |pages=146–147 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220619225117/https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1140&context=history-in-the-making |archive-date=19 June 2022 |via=CSUSB ScholarWorks}}</ref> The State Department is required to maintain the list under section 1754(c) of the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019]], section 40 of the [[Arms Export Control Act]], and section 620A of the [[Foreign Assistance Act]].<ref name=state/>

In 1979, the first such list was published by the State Department, designating [[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]], [[History of Libya under Muammar Gaddafi|Libya]], [[South Yemen]], and [[Ba'athist Syria|Syria]] as terrorist states.<ref name="auto" /> {{As of|2025}}, the list consists of [[Cuba]], [[Iran]], [[North Korea]], and [[Syria]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=State Sponsors of Terrorism |url=https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/ |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=January 20, 2025}}</ref> The countries that were once on the list but have since been removed are: [[Iraq]], [[Libya]], [[South Yemen]] (dissolved in 1990), and [[Sudan]]. A resolution concerning the addition of [[Russia]] to the list was introduced to the [[United States Senate|Senate]] following the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine]] in 2022.

==Timeline==
{| class=wikitable style="font-size:90%; line-height:1.3"
!colspan=47 | Timeline: U.S. State Department's "State Sponsors of Terrorism"
|-
| colspan="1" style="vertical-align:top; text-align:center; padding-left:1px; padding-right:1px" | 1970s
|colspan=10| 1980s
|colspan=10| 1990s
|colspan=10| 2000s
|colspan=10| 2010s
|colspan=6 | 2020s
|-style=text-align:center
|9
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7||8||9
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7||8||9
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7||8||9
|0||1||2||3||4||5||6||7||8||9
|0||1||2||3||4||5
<!--Syria 1979-present -->
|-
|colspan=1 bgcolor=#D0D0D0 style="border-right:none; padding-right:0"| {{flagdeco|Syria|1972}}
|colspan=44 bgcolor=#D0D0D0 style="border-left:none; border-right:none; padding-left:0; padding-right:0"| {{flag|Syria|1980}}
|colspan=2 bgcolor=#D0D0D0 style="border-left:none; padding-left:0; padding-right:0"| {{flagdeco|Syria|revolution}}
<!--Libya 1979-2006-->
|-
|colspan=28 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Libya|1977}}
|colspan=19|
<!--Iraq 1979-1982, 1990-2004 -->
|-
|colspan=4 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Iraq|1963}}
|colspan=7|
|colspan=14 bgcolor=#D0D0D0 style="border-right:none; padding-right:0"| {{flag|Iraq|1991}}
|colspan=1 bgcolor=#D0D0D0 style="border-left:none; padding-left:0"|{{flagicon|Iraq|2004}}
|colspan=21|
<!--South Yemen 1979-1990-->
|-
|colspan=12 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|South Yemen}}
|colspan=35|
<!--Cuba 1982-2015, 2021-2025, 2025-present-->
|-
|colspan=3|
|colspan=34 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Cuba}}
|colspan=5|
|colspan=5 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Cuba}}
<!--Iran 1984-present -->
|-
|colspan=5|
|colspan=42 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Iran}}
<!--North Korea 1988-2008 2017-present -->
|-
|colspan=9|
|colspan=21 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|North Korea}}
|colspan=8|
|colspan=9 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|North Korea}}
<!--Sudan 1993-2020-->
|-
|colspan=14|
|colspan=28 bgcolor=#D0D0D0| {{flag|Sudan}}
|colspan=5|
|}

== Countries currently on the list ==

===Cuba (1982–2015, 2021–present)===
[[Cuba]] was added to the list on March 1, 1982,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/cuba/|title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2019: Cuba |publisher=United States Department of State}}</ref> on the basis that it has a history of supporting revolutionary movements in [[Hispanophone|Spanish-speaking countries]] and [[Africa]].

<blockquote>[[Havana]] openly advocates armed revolution as the only means for [[Left-wing politics|leftist]] forces to gain power in [[Latin America]], and the Cubans have played an important role in facilitating the movement of men and weapons into the region. Havana provides direct support in the form of training, arms, safe havens, and advice to a wide variety of guerrilla groups. Many of these groups engage in terrorist operations.<ref name="CRS">{{cite report |url=http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/CRS_RL32251.pdf |title=Cuba and the State Sponsors of Terrorism List |last=Sullivan |first=Mark P. |date=May 12, 2005 |publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424023101/http://terrorisminfo.mipt.org/pdf/CRS_RL32251.pdf |archive-date=April 24, 2010}}</ref></blockquote>

According to the U.S. Department of State, Cuba "encouraged terrorism in the hope of provoking indiscriminate violence and repression, in order to weaken government legitimacy and attract new converts to armed struggle." In 1992, after the [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union|Soviet collapse]], Fidel Castro stressed that his country's support for insurgents abroad was a thing of the past.<ref name="CRS" />

According to Country Reports on Terrorism 2010: August 18, 2011:<ref name="state2010">{{cite web |date=July 31, 2012 |title=Chapter 3: State Sponsors of Terrorism |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801200712/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/list/c14151.htm |archive-date=August 1, 2018 |access-date=January 11, 2013 |publisher=United States Department of State}}</ref>

{{cquote|Designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1982, the Government of Cuba maintained a public stance against terrorism and terrorist financing in 2010, but there was no evidence that it had severed ties with elements from the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC) and recent media reports indicate some current and former members of the [[ETA (separatist group)|Basque Fatherland and Liberty]] (ETA) continue to reside in Cuba. Available information suggested that the Cuban government maintained limited contact with FARC members, but there was no evidence of direct financial or ongoing material support. In March, the Cuban government allowed Spanish Police to travel to Cuba to confirm the presence of suspected ETA members. Cuba has been used as a transit point by third-country nationals looking to enter illegally into the United States. The Government of Cuba is aware of the border integrity and transnational security concerns posed by such transit and investigated third country migrant smuggling and related criminal activities. In November, the government allowed the Transportation Security Administration representatives to conduct a series of airport security visits throughout the island. Regional and International Cooperation: Cuba did not sponsor counterterrorism initiatives or participate in regional or global operations against terrorists in 2010.}}

On December 17, 2014, an agreement to restore [[Cuba–United States relations|relations with Cuba]] was reached ([[Cuban thaw]]); President [[Barack Obama]] instructed the Secretary of State to immediately launch a review of Cuba's inclusion on the list, and provide a report to the President within six months regarding Cuba's alleged support for international terrorism.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Fact Sheet: Charting a New Course on Cuba |date=December 17, 2014 |url=https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/17/fact-sheet-charting-new-course-cuba |via=[[NARA|National Archives]] |access-date=April 14, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729144040/https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/12/17/fact-sheet-charting-new-course-cuba |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |work=[[whitehouse.gov]]}}</ref> President Barack Obama announced on April 14, 2015, that Cuba was being removed from the list.<ref name="cuba-removed">{{cite news |last=Pace |first=Julie |date=April 14, 2015 |title=Obama Removes Cuba from State Sponsor of Terror List |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-removes-cuba-state-sponsor-terror-list-30314957 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414225747/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/obama-removes-cuba-state-sponsor-terror-list-30314957 |archive-date=2015-04-14 |access-date=2021-12-31 |publisher=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref> Cuba would not come off the list until after a 45-day review period, during which the [[U.S. Congress]] could try blocking Cuba's removal via a joint resolution.<ref name="cuba-removed2">{{cite news |last1=Archibold |first1=Randal C. |last2=Davis |first2=Julie Hirschfeld |date=April 14, 2015 |title=Obama Endorses Removing Cuba From Terrorism List |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/americas/obama-cuba-remove-from-state-terror-list.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419053727/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/15/world/americas/obama-cuba-remove-from-state-terror-list.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&bicmp=AD&bicmlukp=WT.mc_id&bicmst=1409232722000&bicmet=1419773522000&_r=0 |archive-date=April 19, 2018 |access-date=April 14, 2015 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> Congress did not act, and Cuba was officially removed from the list on May 29, 2015.<ref name="us-officially">{{cite news |last1=Wall |first1=Katie |date=May 29, 2015 |title=U.S. Officially Removes Cuba From State Sponsors of Terrorism List |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officially-removes-cuba-state-sponsor-terrorism-list-n366621 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529152553/http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/u-s-officially-removes-cuba-state-sponsor-terrorism-list-n366621 |archive-date=May 29, 2015 |access-date=May 29, 2015 |publisher=[[NBC News]]}}</ref>

Cuba was readded to the list on January 12, 2021,<ref name="state" /> with [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Mike Pompeo]] citing "repeatedly providing support for acts of international terrorism" by harboring U.S. fugitives as well as Colombian rebel leaders. Cuba's support for [[Nicolás Maduro]] in the [[Venezuelan presidential crisis|presidential crisis]], knowing the Maduro administration created "a permissive environment for international terrorists to live and thrive within Venezuela" was another reason for the redesignation.<ref>{{cite web |date=January 11, 2021 |title=Trump plans to return Cuba to U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism: source |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cuba-terrorism-list/trump-plans-to-return-cuba-to-us-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism-source-idUSKBN29G1Y9 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111192315/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cuba-terrorism-list/trump-plans-to-return-cuba-to-us-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism-source-idUSKBN29G1Y9 |archive-date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=January 11, 2021 |work=Reuters}}</ref> The redesignation came just eight days before [[Donald Trump]]'s [[first presidency of Donald Trump|first presidency]] ended on January 20 at noon.

On January 14, 2025, U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] notified Congress of his proposed removal of Cuba from the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/14/certification-of-rescission-of-cubas-designation-as-a-state-sponsor-of-terrorism/ |title=Certification of Rescission of Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism |publisher=White House |date=January 14, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2025/01/14/message-to-the-congress-on-transmitting-a-report-to-the-congress-with-respect-to-the-proposed-rescission-of-cubas-designation-as-a-state-sponsor-of-terrorism/ |title=Message to the Congress on Transmitting a Report to the Congress with Respect to the Proposed Rescission of Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism |publisher=White House |date=January 14, 2025}}</ref> The proposed removal was part of a [[Vatican City|Vatican]]-brokered deal that would see the release of 553 prisoners detained for "diverse crimes," including those arrested during the [[2021 Cuban protests|2021 Cuban anti-government protests]]. According to a senior official of the Biden administration, an assessment on Cuba had been completed and found that there was no information supporting Cuba's designation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c17e0k92g41o|title=US to remove Cuba from state sponsors of terror list |publisher=BBC |date=January 14, 2025}}</ref> However, on January 20, 2025, succeeding President [[Donald Trump]] revoked the proposed removal of Cuba from the list.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-revokes-biden-removal-cuba-us-state-sponsors-terrorism-list-2025-01-21/ |title=Trump revokes Biden removal of Cuba from US state sponsors of terrorism list |publisher=Reuters |date=January 20, 2025}}</ref> The proposed removal never took effect as it required a waiting period of 45 days, which would have been on February 28, 2025.<ref>{{USC|50|4813}}(c)(4)(B)</ref>

===Iran (1984–present)===
{{over-quotation|section|date=April 2024}}
[[Iran and state terrorism|Iran]] was added to the list on January 19, 1984. According to ''Country Reports on Terrorism 2013'':<ref name="SST2013">{{Cite web|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224826.htm|title=Technical Difficulties|website=2009-2017.state.gov|access-date=May 23, 2019|archive-date=December 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212134133/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2013/224826.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{blockquote|Overview: Designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1984, Iran continued its terrorist-related activity, including support for Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza, and for Hezbollah. It has also increased its presence in Africa and attempted to smuggle arms to Houthi separatists in Yemen and Shia oppositionists in Bahrain. Iran used the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and its regional proxy groups to implement foreign policy goals, provide cover for intelligence operations, and create instability in the Middle East. The IRGC-QF is the regime's primary mechanism for cultivating and supporting terrorists abroad.

Iran views Syria as a crucial causeway in its weapons supply route to Hezbollah, its primary beneficiary. In 2013, Iran continued to provide arms, financing, training, and the facilitation of Iraqi Shia fighters to the Assad regime's brutal crackdown, a crackdown that has resulted in the death of more than 100,000 civilians in Syria. Iran has publicly admitted sending members of the IRGC to Syria in an advisory role. There are reports indicating that some of these troops are IRGC-QF members and have taken part in direct combat operations. In February, senior IRGC-QF commander Brigadier General Hassan Shateri was killed in or near Zabadani, Syria. This was the first publicly announced death of a senior Iranian military official in Syria. In November, IRGC-QF commander Mohammad Jamalizadeh Paghaleh was also killed in Aleppo, Syria. Subsequent Iranian media reports stated that Paghaleh was volunteering in Syria to defend the Sayyida Zainab mosque located in Damascus. The location of Paghaleh's death, over 200 miles away from the mosque he was reported to be protecting, demonstrated Iran's intent to mask the operations of IRGC-QF forces in Syria.

Iran has historically provided weapons, training, and funding to Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups, including the Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC), although Hamas's ties to Tehran have been strained due to the Syrian civil war. Since the end of the 2006 Israeli-Hizballah conflict, Iran has also assisted in rearming Hezbollah, in direct violation of UNSCR 1701. Iran has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support of Hezbollah in Lebanon and has trained thousands of its fighters at camps in Iran. These trained fighters often use these skills in support of the Assad regime in Syria.

Despite its pledge to support Iraq's stabilization, Iran trained, funded, and provided guidance to Iraqi Shia militant groups. The IRGC-QF, in concert with Hezbollah, provided training outside of Iraq as well as advisors inside Iraq for Shia militants in the construction and use of sophisticated improvised explosive device technology and other advanced weaponry. Similar to Hezbollah fighters, many of these trained Shia militants then use these skills to fight for the Assad regime in Syria, often at the behest of Iran.

On January 23, 2013, Yemeni authorities seized an Iranian dhow, the Jihan, off the coast of Yemen. The dhow was carrying sophisticated Chinese antiaircraft missiles, C-4 explosives, rocket-propelled grenades, and many other weapons and explosives. The shipment of lethal aid was likely headed to Houthi separatists in Northern Yemen. Iran actively supports members of the Houthi movement, including activities intended to build military capabilities, which could pose a greater threat to security and stability in Yemen and the surrounding region.

In late April 2013, the Bosnian government declared two Iranian diplomats, Jadidi Sohrab and Hamzeh Dolab Ahmad, [[persona non grata]] after Israeli intelligence reported they were members of Iran's Ministry of Intelligence and Security. According to Israeli intelligence, one of the two men had been spotted in India, Georgia, and Thailand, all of which were sites of a simultaneous bombing campaign in February 2012. Both diplomats were subsequently expelled from Bosnia.

On December 29, 2013, the Bahraini Coast Guard interdicted a speedboat filled with weapons and explosives that was likely bound for Shia oppositionists in Bahrain, specifically the 14 February Youth Coalition (14 FYC). Bahraini authorities accused the IRGC-QF of providing opposition militants with explosives training in order to carry out attacks in Bahrain. The interdiction led to the discovery of two weapons and explosives cache sites in Bahrain, the dismantling of a car bomb, and the arrest of 15 Bahrain nationals.<ref name="SST2013"/>}}

[[Mike Pompeo]] issued an official statement as the US Secretary of State on 12 January 2021, stating, "[[al-Qaida|al-Qaeda]] has a new home base: it is the Islamic Republic of Iran."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pompeo|first=Michael R.|date=2021-01-12|title=The Iran-al-Qaida Axis|url=https://www.state.gov/the-iran-al-qaida-axis/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-12-31|website=[[Wayback Machine]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112193123/https://www.state.gov/the-iran-al-qaida-axis/|archive-date=January 12, 2021}}</ref>

===North Korea (1988–2008, 2017–present)===
[[North Korea]] was added in 1988, following the 1987 bombing of [[Korean Air Flight 858]] near [[Myanmar]] and re-listed again in 2017.<ref name="WMD.DPRK.NYT">{{Cite news |last1=Paddock |first1=Richard C. |last2=Sang-Hun |first2=Choe |last3=Wade |first3=Nicholas |date=February 24, 2017 |title=In Kim Jong-nam's Death, North Korea Lets Loose a Weapon of Mass Destruction |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-nam-vx-nerve-agent.html |access-date= |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=June 10, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180610180737/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/24/world/asia/north-korea-kim-jong-nam-vx-nerve-agent.html |url-status=live }}</ref> North Korea was initially added because it sold weapons to terrorist groups<ref>{{cite web |last=Sharma |first=Vikaas |date=2008-06-28 |title=State Sponsors: North Korea |url=http://www.cfr.org/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/state-sponsors-north-korea/p9364 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110328074913/http://www.cfr.org/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/state-sponsors-north-korea/p9364 |archive-date=2011-03-28 |access-date=2021-12-31 |work=Council on Foreign Relations}}</ref> and gave asylum to [[Japan]]ese Communist League-[[Japanese Red Army|Red Army Faction]] members. The country is also responsible for the [[Rangoon bombing]].

According to Country Reports on Terrorism: April 30, 2007:<ref name="state2006">{{cite web|url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2006/82736.htm|title=Chapter 3: State Sponsors of Terrorism Overview|publisher=United States Department of State|year=2006|access-date=June 9, 2009|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026160944/https://2001-2009.state.gov/s/ct/rls/crt/2006/82736.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{blockquote|The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was not known to have sponsored any terrorist acts since the bombing of a Korean Airlines flight in 1987. The DPRK continued to harbor four Japanese Red Army members who participated in a jet hijacking in 1970. The Japanese government continued to seek a full accounting of the fate of the 12 Japanese nationals believed to have been abducted by DPRK state entities; five such abductees have been repatriated to Japan since 2002. In the February 13, 2007, Initial Actions Agreement, the United States agreed to "begin the process of removing the designation of the DPRK as a state-sponsor of terrorism.}}

Terrorology specialist [[C. Augustus Martin|Gus Martin]] writes in his ''Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives and Issues'' that "it is important to note that the State Department's list includes countries that have significantly reduced their involvement in terrorism, such as North Korea and Cuba. For example, North Korea was at one time quite active in attacking South Korean interests. In November 1987, North Korean operatives apparently destroyed Korean Airlines Flight 858, which exploded in Myanmar (Burma). The North Korean government has since renounced its sponsorship of terrorism."<ref>{{cite book|last=Martin|first=Gus|title=Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives and Issues|publisher=Sage Publications|year=2006|page=83}}</ref>

On April 13, 2008, Pyongyang agreed to dismantle the [[Nyongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center|Yongbyon facility]] as part of an aid-for-disarmament deal. In response, on June 26, 2008, President [[George W. Bush]] announced that he would remove North Korea from the list. On October 11, the country was officially removed from the list for meeting all nuclear inspection requirements. The U.S State Department said it made the decision as Pyongyang had agreed to the verification of all of its nuclear programs, etc.

Despite requests from the South Korean government to put North Korea back on the list after it allegedly [[ROKS Cheonan sinking|sank the Navy ship the ROKS ''Cheonan'']] in 2010, the Obama administration stated that it would not do so because the act was conducted by only the North Korean military and was thus not an act of terror.<ref name=iopzart>{{cite web|date=June 27, 2010|url=https://www.voanews.com/a/article--us--north-korean-ship-attack-violated-armistice-not-act-of-terrorism---97355069/120653.html|title=US: North Korean Ship Attack Violated Armistice, Not Act of Terrorism|publisher=[[Voice of America]]|access-date=April 16, 2015|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305083214/http://www.voanews.com/content/article--us--north-korean-ship-attack-violated-armistice-not-act-of-terrorism---97355069/120653.html|url-status=live}}</ref> However, following the incident, the Obama administration also stated that it would then closely monitor North Korea for signs for a return to international terrorism.<ref name=iopzart /> U.S. State Department spokesman P.J Crowley also said that returning North Korea to the list was under continual review.<ref name=iopzart />

Former Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]] stated in 2009 that she was considering renaming North Korea on the List of State Sponsors of Terrorism.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2009/06/08/us_considering_putting_north_korea_back_on_terror_list/|work=[[The Boston Globe]]|title=Clinton Says North Korea Could Return to Terror List|date=June 8, 2009|access-date=September 23, 2009|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223233/http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2009/06/08/us_considering_putting_north_korea_back_on_terror_list/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of 2016, North Korea, unlike the other countries removed and the designated state sponsor of terrorism Sudan, was still listed as not fully cooperating with the United States to fight terrorism.<ref>{{cite report|first1=Mark P.|last1=Sullivan|first2=June S.|last2=Beittel|date=December 15, 2016|title=Latin America: Terrorism Issues|url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RS21049.pdf|publisher=Congressional Research Service|access-date=April 4, 2015|archive-date=August 12, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812030914/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RS21049.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

In February 2017, following the alleged state-sponsored [[Assassination of Kim Jong-nam|murder of Kim Jong-nam]] (Supreme Leader [[Kim Jong Un]]'s half-brother) using the nerve agent [[VX (nerve agent)|VX]] (banned under the international [[Chemical Weapons Convention]], a convention which the North Korean government has not signed), pressure was placed on the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] to revoke Bush's lifting of sanctions.<ref name="WMD.DPRK.NYT" /> In April 2017, U.S. Congress backed a bill to reinstate North Korea as a state sponsor of terror following the [[2017 Shayrat missile strike]] in Syria, which North Korea had condemned vehemently.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39542990|title=US deploys warships to Korean peninsula|journal=BBC News|date=April 9, 2017|access-date=November 5, 2017|archive-date=April 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409074101/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39542990|url-status=live}}</ref> In August of the same year, the nation launched a missile that flew over [[Hokkaido]], Japan, promoting severe condemnation from other states. In September, the parents of [[Otto Warmbier]], who had died after being imprisoned in the nation, stated that they want North Korea to be relisted for his apparent murder.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/otto-warmbiers-parents-break-silence-on-sons-death-call-north-korea-terrorist-state/news-story/629b542a290c18e24c86aaaea2a2fab7|title=Otto Warmbier's parents break silence on son's death|newspaper=News.com.au|date=September 26, 2017|access-date=November 5, 2017|last1=Craw|first1=Victoria|archive-date=September 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926182304/http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/otto-warmbiers-parents-break-silence-on-sons-death-call-north-korea-terrorist-state/news-story/629b542a290c18e24c86aaaea2a2fab7|url-status=live}}</ref>
On November 20, 2017, President Trump officially announced the re-listing of North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael D. |last2=Sanger |first2=David E. |date=November 20, 2017 |title=Trump Returns North Korea to List of State Sponsors of Terrorism |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/us/politics/north-korea-trump-terror.html |access-date=November 21, 2017 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=November 21, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121005308/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/20/us/politics/north-korea-trump-terror.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Syria (1979–present)===
{{over-quotation|section|date=April 2024}}
[[Ba'athist Syria]] was added to the list on December 29, 1979. It is the only country from the original 1979 list to remain on the list, following Libya's removal in 2006.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ker-Lindsay |first=James |date=27 April 2023 |title=Is Syria No Longer a Pariah State? |work=World Politics Review |url=https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/syria-pariah-state/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602100607/https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/syria-pariah-state/ |archive-date=2 June 2023}}</ref>
According to 2021 edition of [[Country Reports on Terrorism]] published by the [[United States]]:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2021 |url=https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Country_Reports_2021_Complete_MASTER.no_maps-011323-Accessible.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230330072245/https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Country_Reports_2021_Complete_MASTER.no_maps-011323-Accessible.pdf |archive-date=30 March 2023 |website=United States Department of State |pages=215–216}}</ref>

{{cquote|Designated in 1979 as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, [[Ba'athist Syria|Syria]] continued its political and military support to various terrorist groups. The Ba'athist regime continued to provide weapons and political support to [[Hezbollah]] and continued to allow [[Iran]] to rearm and finance the terrorist organization. The [[Assad regime]]'s relationship with Hizballah and Iran remained strong in 2021, as the regime continued to rely heavily on external actors to fight opponents and secure areas. The [[Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]] remains present and active in the country with the permission of President [[Bashar al-Assad]]. Assad remained a staunch defender of Iran's policies, while Iran exhibited equally energetic support for the Assad regime. Syrian government speeches and press releases often included statements supporting terrorist groups, particularly Hizballah, and vice versa

Over the past two decades, the Assad regime's permissive attitude toward [[Al-Qaeda in Iraq|AQ]] and other terrorist groups' foreign terrorist fighter facilitation efforts during the [[Iraq War|Iraq conflict]] fed the growth of AQ, [[ISIS]], and affiliated terrorist networks inside Syria. The Syrian government's awareness and encouragement for many years of terrorists' transit through Syria to Iraq for the purpose of fighting U.S. forces before 2012 is well documented. The Assad regime released thousands of violent extremists from its prisons in 2011 and 2012, fueling a rise in terrorism within the country, in an attempt to justify its repression of the [[Syrians|Syrian people]]...

The Assad regime has frequently used counterterrorism laws and special counterterrorism courts to detain and imprison protesters, human rights defenders, humanitarian workers, and others on the pretext of fighting terrorism. Additionally, Iran-aligned militia groups from Iraq, some of which are U.S.-designated terrorist organizations, continued to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of the Assad regime. Affiliates of the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]] also operated on Syrian soil and represent [[Turkey|Türkiye]]'s primary counterterrorism concern in Syria.}}

In 2016, the [[United States District Court for the District of Columbia|US district court of Columbia]] declared that the financial and logistical support of the Syrian government was crucial for establishing a well-structured pathway for the fighters of [[al-Qaeda in Iraq]] in carrying out anti-American combat operations throughout the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi insurgency]]. The court further stated that Syria "became a crucial base for AQI", by hosting several associates of [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi|Al-Zarqawi]] and leading commanders of the insurgency, and stated that Syria's policies "led to the deaths of hundreds of Americans in Iraq". The district court also found evidence of [[Military Intelligence Directorate (Syria)|Syrian military intelligence]] assisting [[Al-Qaeda in Iraq]] and giving "crucial material support" to AQI militants who carried out the [[2005 Amman bombings]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Akkad |first=Dania |date=19 September 2017 |title=Syrian state helped al-Qaeda bomb Jordan hotels, US court finds |work=Middle East Eye |url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syrian-state-helped-al-qaeda-bomb-jordan-hotels-us-court-finds |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190706041730/https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/syrian-state-helped-al-qaeda-bomb-jordan-hotels-us-court-finds |archive-date=6 July 2019}}</ref>

Following the [[Fall of the Assad regime]] in December 2024, it was unclear if the United States planned to drop Syria from the list of the State Sponsors of Terrorism, although [[Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham]], which contributed to Assad's fall and was led by current [[Syrian president]] [[Ahmed al-Sharaa]], had been labeled as a terrorist group in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 12, 2024 |title=Priorities after Assad's Fall {{!}} Crisis Group |url=https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/east-mediterranean-mena/syria/priorities-after-assads-fall?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter |access-date=December 13, 2024 |website=www.crisisgroup.org}}</ref>

On a tour of the [[2025 visit by Donald Trump to the Middle East|Middle East]], President Trump met with the new Syrian president in Saudi Arabia, and stated his plan to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a fresh start.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Slattery |first1=Gram |last2=Magid |first2=Pesha |last3=Eltahir |first3=Nafisa |last4=Azhari |first4=Timour |date=2025-05-14 |title=Trump to remove US sanctions on Syria in major policy shift |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/trump-says-will-remove-us-sanctions-syria-2025-05-13/ |access-date=2025-05-14 |work=Reuters}}</ref> The next day Senator [[Lindsey Graham]], a frequent Trump surrogate, clarified that removal of Syria from the list was something that could be expected to happen "eventually" rather than immediately.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

==Countries under discussion==
===Afghanistan===
On July 25, 2024, Representative [[Nancy Mace]] introduced the Preventing the Recognition of Terrorist States Act (H.R. 9163), a bill that would require the U.S. Secretary of State to designate the [[Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan]], the Taliban-led government, as a state sponsor of terrorism. The legislation also prohibits any form of diplomatic recognition or assistance that could legitimize the [[Taliban]] regime, citing its ties to U.S.-designated terrorist figures.<ref>{{cite web | title=Text - H.R.9163 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): Preventing the Recognition of Terrorist States Act of 2024 | date=July 25, 2024 | url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9163/text?s=1&r=9 }}</ref>

===Russia===
In May 2022, Senators [[Richard Blumenthal]] (D-CT) and [[Lindsey Graham]] (R-SC) announced the introduction of a resolution calling on the Biden administration to designate [[Russia]] as a state sponsor of terrorism for its [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|war on Ukraine]] and conduct elsewhere under [[Vladimir Putin]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mangan |first=Dan |date=2022-05-10 |title=Senate resolution would urge Biden administration to designate Russia as state sponsor of terrorism sponsor under Putin |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/10/ukraine-war-senate-to-push-for-russia-to-be-named-terrorism-sponsor.html |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=CNBC |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128064036/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/10/ukraine-war-senate-to-push-for-russia-to-be-named-terrorism-sponsor.html |url-status=live }}</ref> "Putin is a terrorist, and one of the most disruptive forces on the planet is Putin's Russia,"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vorozhko |first=Tatiana |date=2022-05-19 |title=US Lawmakers Push Biden to Designate Russia a State Terror Sponsor |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmakers-push-biden-to-designate-russia-a-state-terror-sponsor/6580968.html |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=VOA |archive-date=November 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221110160426/https://www.voanews.com/a/us-lawmakers-push-biden-to-designate-russia-a-state-terror-sponsor/6580968.html |url-status=live }}</ref> said Graham, introducing the resolution. However, in September the same year, president Biden decided not to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, saying that the move could backfire by jeopardizing American support for Ukraine.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-06 |title=Biden Says No to Appeals to Designate Russia a State Sponsor of Terror |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/biden-says-no-to-appeals-to-designate-russia-a-state-sponsor-of-terror/6734357.html |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Voice of America}}</ref>

=== Venezuela ===
In November 2018, ''The Washington Post'' reported that the Trump administration was planning to designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism due to the government's purported ties to Hezbollah and the [[Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia]] (FARC).<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Hudson |first1=John |last2=Sun |first2=Lena H. |date=2018-11-20 |title=Trump administration prepares to add Venezuela to list of state sponsors of terrorism |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-prepares-to-add-venezuela-to-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism/2018/11/19/1ba65b74-ec01-11e8-baac-2a674e91502b_story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516135548/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-prepares-to-add-venezuela-to-list-of-state-sponsors-of-terrorism/2018/11/19/1ba65b74-ec01-11e8-baac-2a674e91502b_story.html |archive-date=2022-05-16 |access-date=2025-05-22 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-20 |title=СМИ: США могут включить Венесуэлу в список государств-спонсоров терроризма |trans-title=Media: US May Add Venezuela to List of State Sponsors of Terrorism |url=https://www.delfi.lt/ru/abroad/global/smi-ssha-mogut-vklyuchit-venesuelu-v-spisok-gosudarstv-sponsorov-terrorizma-79632195 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220712084719/https://www.delfi.lt/ru/abroad/global/smi-ssha-mogut-vklyuchit-venesuelu-v-spisok-gosudarstv-sponsorov-terrorizma.d?id=79632195 |archive-date=2022-07-12 |access-date=2025-05-22 |website=Delfi RU |language=ru}}</ref> Despite the reports, Venezuela has not been added to the list as of 2025.

==Countries that have been removed==
=== Iraq (1979–1982, 1990–2004) ===
[[Ba'athist Iraq|Iraq]], then under the rule of [[Saddam Hussein]], was added to the list on December 29, 1979.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Guidelines for Treasury Forfeiture Fund Agencies on Refunds Pursuant to Court Orders, Petitions for Remission, or Restoration Requests and Payments to the Fund for United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism|url=https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/246/Blue-Book-Final-2020-508-Compliant.pdf|website=Treasury.gov}}</ref> Iraq had sheltered several militant groups during the 1980s, such as the [[Palestinian Liberation Front]], and others.<ref name="georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov">{{Cite web |title=Saddam Hussein's Support for International Terrorism |url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/infocus/iraq/decade/sect5.html |access-date=2024-05-05 |website=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov}}</ref> It was removed in February 1982<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Schwartz |first1=Jonathan B. |title=Dealing with a "Rogue State": The Libya Precedent|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-journal-of-international-law/article/abs/dealing-with-a-rogue-state-the-libya-precedent/AF4ED682C1CC1064AECCC014CFB03971|journal=American Journal of International Law |date=2007 |volume=101 |issue=3 |pages=553–580 |doi=10.1017/S0002930000029791 |url-access=subscription }}</ref> to allow [[United States support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War|U.S. aid to Iraq]] while it was fighting Iran in the [[Iran–Iraq War]].<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/13/world/confrontation-gulf-us-aid-helped-hussein-s-climb-now-critics-say-bill-due.html Confrontation in the Gulf; U.S. Aid Helped Hussein's Climb; Now, Critics Say, the Bill Is Due] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326004149/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/13/world/confrontation-gulf-us-aid-helped-hussein-s-climb-now-critics-say-bill-due.html |date=March 26, 2022 }} ''The New York Times'', Aug 13, 1990.</ref><ref>R. Gregory Nokes, "U.S. Adds Cuba, Drops Iraq from Terrorism List," Associated Press. February 26, 1982.</ref> It was re-added on September 13, 1990, following its [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|invasion of Kuwait]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040924-8.html|title=Memorandum for the Secretary of State|website=georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov|access-date=December 15, 2020|archive-date=May 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523143421/https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/09/20040924-8.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1993, Iraq's intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S. President George Bush and Kuwait's Emir with a car bomb, but Kuwaiti authorities foiled the plot and arrested 16 suspects, including two Iraqis.<ref name="georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov"/> Following the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq]] and toppling of President Saddam Hussein, Iraq was removed from the list on October 25, 2004, after receiving assurances from the [[Iraqi Interim Government|Iraqi interim government]] that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information |first=Bureau of Public Affairs |title=Iraq Removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List |url=https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/rmo/hglt/37603.htm |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=2001-2009.state.gov |language=en}}</ref>

=== Libya (1979–2006) ===
[[Libyan Arab Jamahiriya|Libya]] was added on December 29, 1979.<ref>{{cite web|date=2002-05-21|title=State Sponsors of Terrorism
|url=https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/|publisher=State.gov}}</ref> Then under the rule of [[Muammar Gaddafi]], it was branded a sponsor of terrorism due to the government's support for several [[left-wing]] militant groups; including the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]], the [[Basque Fatherland and Liberty]], the [[Umkhonto We Sizwe]], the [[Polisario Front]], the [[Kurdistan Workers' Party]], the [[Túpac Amaru Revolutionary Movement]], the [[Palestine Liberation Organization]], [[Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine]], [[Free Aceh Movement]], [[Free Papua Movement]], [[Fretilin]], [[Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front]], [[Republic of South Maluku]] and the [[Moro National Liberation Front]] of the [[Philippines]].<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/13600828908442977|title=State-supported terrorism: Libya and the American response|journal=Paradigms|volume=3|pages=38–46|year=1989|last1=Sidaway|first1=James D.}}</ref> On May 15, 2006, the United States announced that Libya would be removed from the list after a 45-day wait period.<ref>{{cite news|first=Elise|last=Labott|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/15/libya/index.html|title=U.S. to Restore Relations with Libya|date=May 15, 2006|publisher=[[CNN]]|access-date=June 9, 2009|archive-date=June 15, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615145525/http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/05/15/libya/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Secretary of State [[Condoleezza Rice]] explained that this was due to "...Libya's continued commitment to its renunciation of terrorism".<ref>{{cite web|date=2002-05-21|title=Powell Names State Sponsors of Terrorism|url=http://www.usembassyjakarta.org/terrorism/state_sponsors.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020604013211/http://www.usembassyjakarta.org/terrorism/state_sponsors.html|archive-date=2002-06-04|access-date=2021-12-31|website=[[Wayback Machine]]|publisher=United States Embassy in Jarkarta}}</ref>

=== South Yemen (1979–1990) ===
[[South Yemen]] was added to the list on December 29, 1979. It had been branded a sponsor of terrorism due to its support for several [[left-wing]] terrorist groups.<ref>{{Cite report |title=CRS Report for Congress |last=Katzman |first=Kenneth |date=13 February 2002 |page=21 |quote=The former South Yemen (People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen, PDRY) was on the U.S. terrorism list during 1979-1990 for supporting left-wing Arab terrorist groups |section=Terrorism: Near Eastern Groups and State Sponsors}}</ref> The country was dropped from the list in 1990 after it [[Yemeni unification|merged]] with the [[Yemen Arab Republic]] (North Yemen) on May 22, 1990, to become the new [[Republic of Yemen]].

=== Sudan (1993–2020) ===
[[Sudan]] was added to the list on August 12, 1993. American officials alleged that Sudan harbored members of the [[Abu Nidal Organization]], [[Hezbollah]], and [[Palestinian Islamic Jihad]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Holmes |first=Steven A. |date=August 19, 1993 |title=Terrorists helped by Sudan, US says |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/19/world/terrorists-helped-by-sudan-us-says.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230126203230/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/19/world/terrorists-helped-by-sudan-us-says.html |archive-date=January 26, 2023 |access-date= |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In October 2020, President [[Donald Trump]] announced that the United States would remove Sudan from the list following the [[2019 Sudanese coup d'état|ousting and subsequent removal]] of President [[Omar al-Bashir]], and an agreement with the new transitional government to pay $335 million in compensation to the families of victims of the [[1998 United States embassy bombings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54609375|title=Trump set to remove Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism list|website=BBC|date=20 October 2020|access-date=October 20, 2020|archive-date=February 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225075029/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-54609375|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 14, 2020, the United States officially removed Sudan from the list.<ref>{{cite web |date=14 December 2020 |title=Sudan's listing as sponsor of terrorism ended by US |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55300252 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214121208/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-55300252 |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |access-date=December 14, 2020 |website=BBC News}}</ref>

==Sanctions==
The sanctions that the US imposes on countries on the list include:
# A ban on arms-related exports and sales.
# Controls over exports of [[dual-use]] items, requiring 30-day Congressional notification for goods or services that could significantly enhance the terrorist-list country's military capability or ability to support terrorism.
# Prohibitions on economic assistance.
# Imposition of miscellaneous financial and other restrictions, including:
:*Requiring the United States to oppose loans by the [[World Bank]] and other international financial institutions;
:*Lifting diplomatic immunity to allow families of terrorist victims to file civil lawsuits in U.S. courts;
:*Denying companies and individuals [[foreign tax credit|credits for income taxes paid]] to terrorist-listed countries;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irs.gov/publications/p514 |title=Publication 514, Foreign Tax Credit for Individuals |publisher=Internal Revenue Service |access-date=January 22, 2024 |archive-date=February 21, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221195934/https://www.irs.gov/publications/p514 |url-status=live }}</ref>
:*Denial of duty-free treatment of goods exported to the United States;
:*Authority to prohibit any U.S. citizen from engaging in a financial transaction with a terrorist-list government without a Treasury Department license; and
:*Prohibition of Defense Department contracts above $100,000 with companies controlled by terrorist-list states.<ref name="state2006"/>
:*From January 2016, the countries listed were included in a separate exclusion from the [[Visa Waiver Program]] (VWP) under the ''[[Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015]]''. People who have been in these countries on or after March 1, 2011, or who are nationals of these countries in addition to the nationality that would otherwise entitle them to a visa waiver, are not eligible for the VWP. Instead, they are required to go through the process of obtaining a visa.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/02/18/dhs-announces-further-travel-restrictions-visa-waiver-program|title=DHS Announces Further Travel Restrictions for the Visa Waiver Program – Homeland Security|date=2016-02-18|access-date=August 10, 2017|archive-date=September 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922040235/https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/02/18/dhs-announces-further-travel-restrictions-visa-waiver-program|url-status=live}}</ref> However, those who traveled to such countries for diplomatic, military, humanitarian, reporting or legitimate business purposes may have this ineligibility waived by the Secretary of Homeland Security.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/01/21/united-states-begins-implementation-changes-visa-waiver-program|title=United States Begins Implementation of Changes to the Visa Waiver Program – Homeland Security|date=2016-01-21|access-date=August 10, 2017|archive-date=January 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123175101/https://www.dhs.gov/news/2016/01/21/united-states-begins-implementation-changes-visa-waiver-program|url-status=live}}</ref>
:*Under the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|first Trump administration]], citizens of these countries (Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria) faced partial entry restrictions to the [[United States]] under Presidential Proclamation 9645 of the [[Executive Order 13780]]. The order was in force from 2017 until [[Ending Discriminatory Bans on Entry to The United States|its revocation in 2021]].
::*Entry of all North Korean and Syrian nationals into the United States as immigrant and non-immigrant was suspended.
::*Entry of all Iranian nationals into the United States as immigrant and non-immigrant was suspended unless they had valid student visas ([[F visa|F]], [[M-1 visa|M-1]], and [[M-2 visa]]s) or exchange visitor visas ([[J-1 visa|J-1]] and [[J-2 visa]]s), but might be subject to enhanced screening.
::*Travel restrictions imposed by the United States on citizens of Sudan were removed under [[Presidential Proclamation 9645]].
::*Unlike the previous executive order, these restrictions were conditional and could be lifted if those countries met the required security standards set up by the [[United States]].

==Criticism==
Michael F. Oppenheimer, professor at [[New York University]]'s Center for Global Affairs, considers the State Sponsors of Terrorism list as a "negotiating tool" that, in the case of Iran, serves as a "bargaining chip," where the United States would "take them off as part of process of alleviating sanctions against Iran in exchange for what we're asking for in the nuclear agenda." Oppenheimer continues:
<blockquote>Countries that wind up on that list are countries we don't like [...] Other countries and outside powers support terrorism, and objectively speaking are terrorists, and the ones we don't like are on the list, and the ones we're allied with are not on the list. It's all about double standards.<ref name="McCluskey">{{cite web |last=McCluskey |first=Molly |date=January 26, 2014 |title=The United States' 'outdated' terror list |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/01/united-states-outdated-terror-list-20141267333982434.html |work=Al Jazeera|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129032217/https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/01/united-states-outdated-terror-list-20141267333982434.html |archive-date=January 29, 2014 }} (archived)</ref></blockquote>

Linguist and political activist [[Noam Chomsky]] wrote that Iraq was removed from the list in 1982 "in order to permit the US to join the UK and others in providing badly needed aid for [[Saddam Hussein]], continuing without concern after he carried out his most horrifying crimes."{{sfn|Chomsky|2005|p=19}} About Syria being in the list, Chomsky writes:{{blockquote|Clinton offered to remove Syria from the list if it agreed to peace terms offered by the US and Israel. When Syria insisted in recovering the territory that Israel conquered in 1967, it remained on the list of the states sponsoring terrorism, and continues to be on the list despite the acknowledgment by Washington that Syria has not been implicated in sponsoring terror for many years and has been highly cooperative in providing important intelligence to the US on al-Qaeda and other radical Islamist groups. As a reward for the Syria's cooperation in the 'war on the terror,' last December congress passed legislation calling for even stricter sanction against Syria, nearly unanimously (the Syria Accountability Act). The legislation was recently implemented by the president, thus depriving the US of a major source of information about radical Islamist terrorism in order to achieve higher goal of establishing in Syria a regime that will accept US-Israel demands.{{sfn|Chomsky|2005|p=19-20}}}}
Chomsky continued:
<blockquote>Returning to Iraq, when Saddam was removed from the list of states supporting terrorism, Cuba was added to replace it, perhaps in recognition of the sharp escalation in international terrorist attacks against Cuba in the late 1970s, including the [[Cubana de Aviación Flight 455|bombing of a Cubana airliner]] killing 73 people and many other atrocities. These were mostly planned and implemented in the US [...] Washington was officially condemning the terrorist acts while harbouring and protecting the terrorist cells on US soil in violation of US law.{{sfn|Chomsky|2005|p=20}}</blockquote>

[[David Gewirtz]], executive director of the US Strategic Perspective Initiative and a cyber-warfare adviser for the International Association of Counterterrorism & Security Professionals writes: {{blockquote|From my point of view, the list is going to sit around until nobody notices it anymore ... It's much easier to let the thing sit there, with all these countries that everyone agrees we don't like, than it is to get rid of a 'terrorist tool.'<ref name="McCluskey "/>}}

==Terrorist safe havens==
The U.S. Country Reports on Terrorism also describes "Terrorist safe havens" which "described in this report include ungoverned, under-governed, or ill-governed physical areas where terrorists are able to organize, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, transit, and operate in relative security because of inadequate governance capacity, political will, or both".<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257522.htm |title=Chapter 5: Terrorist Safe Havens (Update to 7120 Report) |publisher=United States Department of State |date=2015 |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-date=December 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209165758/https://2009-2017.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2015/257522.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In the U.S. Annual report published in July 2017, which was mandated by the Congress titled "Country Report on Terrorism", the State Department listed numerous regions as "Terrorist safe havens."

=== Somalia, Libya and Mali ===
In Africa, [[Somalia]] was listed as a country where [[Al-Shabaab (militant group)|Al-Shabaab]] finds safe haven, particularly in the [[Jubba River|Jubba River valley.]]<ref name=":0" /> The poorly-governed regions in the Trans-Sahara, in particular in [[Mali]], is where terrorist groups have used territory to "organize, plan, raise funds, communicate, recruit, train, and operate in relative security."<ref name=":0" /> In [[Libya]], porous borders and poorly cohesive security forces along with a large area of ungoverned territory have allowed for a "permissive environment" in which several terrorist groups can operate, such as [[Ansar al-Sharia (Libya)|Ansar al-Sharia]], [[Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb]], [[Al-Mourabitoun]], and the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen ===
In the Middle East, parts of the [[Sinai Peninsula]] of [[Egypt]], operations against [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Sinai Province]] have made the northern part of the peninsula off-limits to tourists.<ref name=":0" /> In southern [[Lebanon]], the government was reported to not be in control of "all regions" of the country, nor its borders with [[Israel]] and [[Syria]], creating a space for [[Hezbollah]] to operate with "relative impunity," and the government has been noted to have made no attempt to disarm the group.<ref name=":0" /> Other groups such as the [[Al-Nusra Front]] and [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] have been noted to operate in mountainous regions of the country.<ref name=":0" /> In [[Yemen]], numerous groups such as [[Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula]], [[ISIL]] operate due to a "political and security vacuum," and have been able to exploit the country's sectarian divide to gain support among Sunnis.<ref name=":0" />

=== Philippines ===
In South-East Asia, several islands in the [[Sulawesi Sea]] and [[Sulu Archipelago]], difficult to govern lands have provided terrorist groups the ability to operate under the cover of "traditional smuggling and piracy groups."<ref name=":0" /> [[Abu Sayyaf]], [[Jemaah Islamiyah]], and the [[Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters]] also operate in difficult to govern regions on the [[Mindanao]] island in the [[Philippines]].<ref name=":0" />

=== Afghanistan and Pakistan ===
In South Asia, the border regions of [[Afghanistan]] and [[Pakistan]] are labeled "ungoverned areas" which terrorists have been able to exploit in order to conduct terrorist activities in both countries.<ref name=":0" /> The State Department stated that terror groups like the [[Lashkar-e-Taiba|LeT]] and [[Jaish-e-Mohammed|JeM]] continue to operate, train, organize, and fundraise openly inside Pakistan in 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170720231647/https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-07-20|title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2016|work=U.S. Department of State|access-date=2017-07-19|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-lists-Pakistan-among-countries-that-provide-safe-haven-to-terrorists/story-2qxoP14OZMhHmyCGdTQcAJ.html|title=US lists Pakistan among countries that provide 'safe haven' to terrorists|date=2017-07-19|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=2017-07-19|language=en|archive-date=February 22, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222095234/https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-lists-pakistan-among-countries-that-provide-safe-haven-to-terrorists/story-2qxoP14OZMhHmyCGdTQcAJ.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-01-23|title=US, UK, France, India voice concern at FATF meet over Pakistan inaction against Terrorism|language=en|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/us-uk-france-voice-concern-at-fatf-meet-over-pak-inaction-against-saeed-azhar-sources/articleshow/69893411.cms|access-date=2019-02-25|archive-date=August 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801200950/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/us-uk-france-voice-concern-at-fatf-meet-over-pak-inaction-against-saeed-azhar-sources/articleshow/69893411.cms|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-07-26|title=US, UK, France asks UN to blacklist militant leader of Pakistan|language=en|work=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-un/u-s-uk-france-ask-u-n-to-blacklist-militant-leader-behind-kashmir-attack-idUSKCN1QG2YX|access-date=2019-07-27|archive-date=December 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214003252/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir-un/u-s-uk-france-ask-u-n-to-blacklist-militant-leader-behind-kashmir-attack-idUSKCN1QG2YX|url-status=live}}</ref> Though the [[LeT]] is officially banned in Pakistan, its [[Jama'at-ud-Da'wah]] and [[Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation|Falah-e-Insaniat]] wings are not, although the JuD is "under observation" in accordance with the country's Schedule Two of the Anti-Terrorism Act.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2017-07-21|title=Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 Chapter 5: Terrorist Safe Havens (Update to 7120 Report)|url=https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/272237.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721054057/https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/crt/2016/272237.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-07-21|access-date=2021-01-13}}</ref>

=== Colombia and Venezuela ===
In the Western hemisphere, [[Colombia|Colombia's]] dense rainforests and weak government presence along its international borders were noted to have allowed safe havens for terrorist groups such as the [[FARC]] to operate.<ref name=":0" /> "Credible reports" have stated that neighboring [[Venezuela]] has maintained a "permissive environment" for the activities of "known terrorist groups."<ref name=":0" /> In particular, they blame [[Nicolás Maduro]] and associates of using "criminal activities" to foster a "permissive environment" for known terrorist groups, including FARC, Hezbollah, and the [[National Liberation Army (Colombia)|National Liberation Army]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Venezuela|url=https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/venezuela/|access-date=2021-01-13|website=United States Department of State|language=en-US|archive-date=January 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120135713/https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/venezuela/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Axis of evil]]
* [[Executive Order 13769]] and [[Executive Order 13780|13780]]
* [[Iran and state-sponsored terrorism]]
* [[Rogue state]]
* [[State-sponsored terrorism]]
* [[State terrorism]]
* [[Israel and state-sponsored terrorism]]
* [[United States and state-sponsored terrorism]]
* [[United States sanctions]]
* [[United States Department of State list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations]]
* [[Hezbollah-Iran relations|Hezbollah–Iran relations]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
* [https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/ State Department: State Sponsors of Terrorism]
* {{cite journal |last1=Chomsky |first1=Noam |date=2005 |title=Simple Truths, Hard Problems: Some Thoughts on Terror, Justice, and Self-Defence |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/4619625 |journal=Philosophy |volume=80 |issue=311 |pages=5–28|doi=10.1017/S0031819105000021 |jstor=4619625 |s2cid=154835562 |url-access=subscription }}

{{US War on Terror}}
{{Cuba–United States relations}}
{{Iran–United States relations}}
{{North Korea–United States relations}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:State Sponsors Of Terrorism}}
[[Category:United States Department of State]]
[[Category:State-sponsored terrorism|USA list]]
[[Category:United States foreign policy]]
[[Category:War on terror]]
[[Category:Cuba–United States relations]]
[[Category:Libya–United States relations]]
[[Category:Iran–United States relations]]
[[Category:Iraq–United States relations]]
[[Category:North Korea–United States relations]]
[[Category:South Yemen–United States relations]]
[[Category:Sudan–United States relations]]
[[Category:Syria–United States relations]]