WASHINGTON,— The Trump administration on Monday removed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from the U.S. list of designated foreign terrorist organizations, in a broader move to begin easing sanctions on Syria and encourage the country’s reconstruction after a prolonged civil war.
The shift follows the December ousting of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist factions led by HTS.
The group’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa—also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani—assumed power and has pledged to establish a more democratic and inclusive government.
HTS, once known as Jabhat al-Nusra and previously affiliated with al-Qaeda, severed its ties with the network in 2016. The U.S. State Department formally designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in 2012.
The decision to revoke that designation was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the move as a “key step” toward fulfilling former President Donald Trump’s stated goal of building a stable and unified Syria. The change is scheduled to take effect Tuesday.
“This decision reflects the evolving political landscape in Syria,” Rubio said in a statement. “It allows space for new diplomatic engagement and practical cooperation.”
In May, Trump met with Sharaa in Riyadh during a summit, where he unexpectedly declared the U.S. would begin lifting sanctions on Syria. That meeting marked a turning point in U.S. policy toward Damascus.
Sharaa is expected to represent Syria at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September, according to Syria’s foreign ministry.
Despite the new policy, sanctions targeting Bashar al-Assad, his family, and former officials involved in chemical weapons programs, human rights abuses, and narcotics trafficking remain in place.
Last week, Trump signed an executive order ending the U.S. sanctions regime that had isolated Syrian institutions from global financial systems.
The Syrian foreign ministry welcomed the move, calling it “a corrective step” and expressing hope that additional restrictions on its agencies and leadership would soon be lifted.
Sharaa’s leadership remains under U.N. Security Council sanctions, which can only be revoked by a formal decision of the Council.
The ministry said his attendance at the U.N. assembly would depend on developments in the coming weeks.
Speaking before a White House dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump commented on Sharaa’s past.
“I was told he comes from a very tough background,” Trump said. “But I was very impressed. We lifted the sanctions to give them a chance.”
(With files from Reuters | AP)
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