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US revoking ‘terrorist’ designation for Syria’s HTS group that overthrew Assad
Syria’s new leadership has sought to rebuild ties with the international community
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The United States on Monday announced it was revoking its designation as a “foreign terrorist organisation” of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to al-Qaeda that toppled Syria’s government in December.
“In consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (and other aliases) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” wrote US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo.
An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad last year, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter’s family.
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Sharaa took over as interim president, a move that has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe and elsewhere, with historic foe Israel seeking to build ties with the new government.
Washington’s move will formally take effect on Tuesday, and comes after US President Donald Trump last week formally dismantled his country’s sanctions against Syria.
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