by AFP and TOI News Staff at Times of Israel
Measure comes amid warming ties between Damascus and Washington, which seeks to reintegrate war-battered country into global economy
The United States on Monday announced that it was revoking its “foreign terrorist organization” designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group once linked to Al-Qaeda that took control of Syria in December 2024.
“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,” said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a memo, with the move to formally take effect on Tuesday.
An armed coalition led by HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa overthrew then-Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December, ending half a century of brutal rule by the latter’s family.
The former Islamist guerrilla fighter’s rule as interim president has been cautiously welcomed in Washington, Europe, and elsewhere.
While historic foe Israel initially viewed Sharaa with suspicion,…
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