Washington (TDI): In a major development signaling a change in US policy toward Syria, the United States has lifted the foreign terrorist tag from Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
The decision was outlined in a memo dated June 23, signed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and released ahead of its formal publication in the Federal Register.
The move follows President Donald Trump’s recent executive order rolling back economic sanctions on Syria, a step aimed at encouraging the country’s reintegration into the global financial system after years of isolation due to civil war.
In the memo, Rubio stated that the US had formally withdrawn its designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as the Al-Nusra Front, as a foreign terrorist organization, Reuters reported.
Read More: Trump Lifts US Sanctions on Syria
He added that this decision was reached after consultations with both the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury.
HTS was once considered Al-Qaeda’s branch in Syria but officially cut ties with the network several years ago.
The group, now under the leadership of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has shifted its rhetoric, expressing support for a more pluralistic and representative political order in Syria.
Last year, HTS and a coalition of allied Islamist groups launched a fast-moving offensive that ended with the ousting of Syria’s longtime leader, Bashar al-Assad.
Read More: Trump Meets Syria’s Sharaa Amid Sanctions Relief
The Syrian government has remained silent so far, offering no public reaction to the US decision.
Earlier in May, President Trump met Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa during a visit to Riyadh.
In a move that caught many by surprise, Trump announced plans to ease longstanding US sanctions against Syria, a policy shift that set the stage for this week’s announcement.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
