US Removes Syria's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from Terror List

The United States, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio and President Donald Trump’s administration, has officially removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, from the list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations. This decision, effective July 8, follows consultations with the Attorney General and Treasury Secretary and aligns with recent efforts to ease sanctions on Syria and reintegrate it into the global financial system after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. HTS, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is now the current president of Syria, has rebranded itself away from al-Qaeda affiliations and played a central role in the coalition that ousted Assad in late 2024. The delisting reflects a broader U.S. policy shift aimed at stabilizing Syria by supporting pragmatic actors and reducing military presence, with only one base remaining. This move came shortly after a May meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, where lifting sanctions was agreed upon, signaling a significant recalibration of U.S. engagement in the Middle East. The decision also corresponds with similar actions by the European Union and Syria’s return to the SWIFT payment system.