US President Donald Trump said Syria had become "very stable" and confirmed that Washington would move to remove the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism, following its decision to lift sanctions on Damascus, state media SANA reported on July 9.

Al Sharaa met Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, where they discussed Syrian-US relations as Trump praised the new Syrian leader.

Speaking after talks with al Sharaa, Trump described the sanctions decision as "a great decision" and said Syria could help the United States on issues relating to Hezbollah and Lebanon.

"Syria is very stable," Trump said, adding that "we're going to take it off the state sponsors of terrorism list."

On Lebanon, Trump said he believed Israel would withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, adding: "Israel and Lebanon have done a great job. Israel will leave Lebanon."

The remarks come as the US continues to sponsor a framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel aimed at maintaining calm along the border and facilitating the redeployment of the Lebanese army alongside an Israeli military withdrawal.

Trump also repeated his criticism of Iran, saying "Iran is behaving badly," and accused the European Union of having treated the United States "very badly for years."

Al Sharaa welcomed the shift in US policy, saying the Syrian people were grateful for Trump's decision to lift sanctions.

"The Syrian people appreciate and thank President Trump" for the sanctions decision, Al Sharaa said.

Separately, Syria's Foreign Ministry welcomed the US announcement that it had begun the process of removing Syria from the state sponsors of terrorism list, describing the move as the end of a "dark chapter" in the country's history.

In a statement, the ministry said the decision marked "an important development in the course of Syrian-US relations based on dialogue, mutual respect and shared interests."

It added that removing the designation, alongside ending sanctions, would "enhance opportunities for economic recovery, pave the way for reconstruction and encourage trade and investment."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on July 8 that the delisting process had begun. The move is expected to take effect within 45 days unless blocked by Congress, which is considered unlikely.

Syria was first designated by the US as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1979, with Washington citing its support for militant groups involved in acts of international terrorism.

Over the following decades, successive US administrations kept Syria on the list, citing the ousted Assad government's support for groups including Hezbollah, its close ties with Iran, its influence in Lebanon, and concerns over its chemical weapons programme and support for armed groups in the region.