US revokes ‘terrorist' designation for Syrian president's former group HTS
The decision, which takes effect on Tuesday, comes as part of US President Donald Trump's broader strategy to re-engage with Syria and support its reconstruction after more than a decade of devastating conflict.
'This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump's vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria,' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Monday.
HTS had been designated as a 'terrorist' group by the US since 2018 due to its former ties to al-Qaeda.
The group emerged out of the al-Nusra Front, once al-Qaeda's official branch in Syria, but formally severed those ties in 2016 after HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa declared the group's independence.
Al-Sharaa, who led the opposition forces that removed al-Assad in a lightning offensive last December, has since become Syria's president.
He has launched what many experts have described as a charm offensive aimed at Western powers, including meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron and, most recently, Trump in Riyadh in May.
The Trump administration and the European Union have since lifted sanctions on Syria.
'In line with President Trump's May 13 promise to deliver sanctions relief to Syria, I am announcing my intent to revoke the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), under the Immigration and Nationality Act,' Rubio said.
'Tomorrow's action follows the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government's commitment to combat terrorism in all its forms.'
HTS was dissolved in late January, with its forces folded into the official Syrian military and security forces.
Damascus welcomed the US decision as a step towards normalisation. In a statement, Syria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the delisting of HTS was a 'positive step toward correcting a course that previously hindered constructive engagement'.
The ministry added that it hoped the move would 'contribute to the removal of remaining restrictions that continue to impact Syrian institutions and officials, and open the door to a rational, sovereign-based approach to international cooperation'.
Meanwhile, HTS remains under United Nations Security Council sanctions, which were imposed in 2014 over its previous affiliation with al-Qaeda. Al-Sharaa also remains under UNSC sanctions, which can only be removed by the Council itself.
Al-Sharaa is reportedly preparing to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this September.
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