US Revokes Terrorist Designation for Syrian Hayat Tahrir al-Sham

Washington, MINA – The US State Department has officially revoked the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of the al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), according to a Federal Register notice dated June 23 and scheduled for publication on Tuesday.

“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,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in the notice, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

The revocation will take effect Tuesday. In a separate statement, Rubio said the move followed the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government’s renewed commitment to combating terrorism.

“This action also builds on the momentum of the June 30 Executive Order ‘Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions’ and recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government under President Ahmed al-Sharaa,” Rubio added.

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HTS had been on the US Foreign Terrorist Organization list since 2018, when it was included under the designation of its predecessor, the al-Qaeda affiliate Jabhat al-Nusra.

The decision comes amid a broader shift in US policy toward Syria. President Donald Trump announced during an investment forum in Riyadh on May 13 that he would lift what he described as “brutal and crippling” sanctions on Syria.

One day later, Trump held a landmark meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital, the first direct meeting between US and Syrian leaders in 25 years.

This series of developments followed the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s long-standing regime. Assad fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, ending nearly a quarter-century of his rule and decades of Baath Party dominance in Syria since 1963.

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The US move to delist HTS marks a significant pivot in American engagement with Syria and reflects Washington’s recognition of the ongoing political and security reforms under the new Syrian leadership. []

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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