In a significant policy shift, the Trump administration has revoked the terrorist designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, amid ongoing efforts to lift US sanctions on Syria.
The decision was disclosed in a memorandum issued by the US Department of State on Monday. The document, signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 23, was previewed in the Federal Register ahead of its official publication on Tuesday.
“In consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, I hereby revoke the designation of Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization,” Rubio wrote in the memorandum.
HTS was previously known as the al-Nusra Front, which operated as the Syrian branch of al-Qaeda. The group formally severed its ties with al-Qaeda in 2016.
Last December, HTS led a coalition of Islamist groups that overthrew the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Following the regime’s fall, HTS leader Ahmad al-Shara assumed the presidency of Syria. Al-Shara has since expressed his commitment to building an inclusive and democratic Syria.
Just a week ago, Donald Trump signed an executive order to begin lifting various US sanctions on Syria, marking a dramatic shift in US policy towards the war-torn country.
Syria’s Foreign Ministry has welcomed the latest US move, describing the delisting of HTS as a “positive step” in restoring normal diplomatic and economic relations.