US may remove HTS from terror list to stabilize Syria, media

Shafaq News/ The United States is considering removing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of designated terrorist organizations, a senior US official told The Washington Post on Monday.

HTS, classified as a terrorist organization by the US, Turkiye, the United Nations, and other Western nations, has emerged as a dominant player in Syria following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

The group has faced years of scrutiny, including a $10 million US bounty announced in 2018 for its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani.

Al-Jolani has openly criticized the terrorist designation, describing it as “politically motivated and inaccurate.”

In interviews, he has claimed to oppose the violent tactics employed by more hardline factions and denied any personal involvement in attacks on civilians.

Some analysts view the US move as pragmatic, aiming to leverage HTS’s control over key territories in northwest Syria to maintain order and prevent further chaos following Al-Assad’s departure.

HTS-led factions were instrumental in the rapid collapse of Al-Assad’s government, which announced its resignation and peaceful transfer of power in a statement by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministry confirmed that al-Assad and his family had been granted asylum in Russia for "humanitarian reasons." It added that al-Assad instructed his administration to ensure a smooth transition of power before leaving Syria.

The Syrian president’s fall has left a power vacuum, with HTS consolidating its hold over territories, including Idlib and parts of Aleppo and Hama provinces.