The United States currently designates as state sponsors of acts of international terrorism the governments of Syria, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. A terrorism designation is but one part in the bilateral relationship between the United States and each of these governments.

Syria.1 The United States has recognized the government of Syria as a state sponsor of acts of international terrorism from 1979, when restrictions on exports to any country engaged in international terrorism were added to export administration law in 1979.

Iran. Secretary of State George Shultz designated the government of Iran as a sponsor of acts of international terrorism on January 19, 1984.3 In July 2015, the United States, China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, European Union, and Iran agreed to a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under the agreement, Iran ensured that its nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful, and in return, the negotiating parties and the United Nations lifted economic sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear pursuits. In May 2018, President Donald Trump ceased U.S. participation in the JCPOA and set a course for reestablishing restrictions on trade, transactions, and investment in most of Iran’s economy. Throughout, however, U.S. sanctions have remained in place to address Iran’s support for international terrorism, missile proliferation, human rights violations, and disrupting regional stability.