The move follows the lifting of sanctions in Damascus after the collapse of the Al-Assad government last year.
The US will revoke the designation of Hayat Taharil Al-Sham (HTS) as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in order to ease Washington’s approach to postwar Syria after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad government last year.
The decision to take effect on Tuesday comes as part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to remarry Syria after more than a decade of catastrophic conflict and help rebuild.
“The cancellation of this FTO is a critical step towards realizing President Trump’s vision in a stable, unified and peaceful Syrian state,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement Monday.
HTS has been designated by the United States as a “terrorist” group since 2018 due to its previous relationship with al-Qaeda.
The group came out of the Alnusra Front, once the official branch of Syria al-Qaeda, but officially cut off those relationships in 2016 after HTS leader Ahmed Al-Sharara declared the group’s independence.
Al Sharaa, who led the opposition party that evacuated Al Assad to remove him in December last year, became Syrian president.
He launched what many experts described as attractive attacks targeting Western countries, including a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and, more recently, with Riyadh’s Trump in May.
The Trump administration and the European Union have since lifted sanctions against Syria.
“In line with President Trump’s May 13 commitment to provide sanctions relief on Syria, I am announcing my intentions under the immigration and citizens law to revoke the designation of the Al Nusra Front’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), also known as Heiat Taharil Al-Sham (HTS),,” Rubio said.
“Tomorrow’s actions follow the announced dissolution of HTS and the Syrian government’s commitment to combat all forms of terrorism.”
The HTS was disbanded in late January, and its units folded into Syrian and security forces.
Damascus welcomed the US decision as a step towards normalization. In a statement, Syrian Foreign Ministry said the delisting of HTS was “a positive step towards revising a course that previously prevented constructive involvement.”
The ministry added that the move “hopes to contribute to continuing to influence Syrian institutions and officials and opening the door to a rational, sovereign approach to international cooperation.
Meanwhile, the HTS remains under UN Security Council sanctions and was imposed in 2014 for its previous affiliation with al-Qaeda. Alshara is also under UNSC sanctions and can only be removed by the Council itself.
Alshara is reportedly preparing to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York this September.
