Jul 7, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Trump administration to remove Syrian leader's group from terrorist list

Rebecca Falconer

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Photo: Mert Gokhan Koc/dia images via Getty Images

The Trump administration will remove Syria's Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of designated "Foreign Terrorist Organizations," effective Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced.

Why it matters: Rubio noted in his announcement Monday that the action is in line with President Trump's pledge in Saudi Arabia in May ahead of a meeting with HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syria's former rebel leader-turned-interim president, "to deliver sanctions relief" to the war-torn country.

Trump last month signed an executive order rescinding most U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria since the 1970s after al-Sharaa, whose group overthrew the Assad regime last year, pressed the U.S to take the action to give Syria a chance to rebuild after the civil war.

Context: HTS, also known as al-Nusra Front, was previously an affiliate of al-Qaeda in Syria, but al-Sharaa cut ties about nine years ago.

Details: Rubio said in a statement that the action "recognizes the positive actions taken by the new Syrian government" under al-Sharaa.

"This FTO revocation is an important step in fulfilling President Trump's vision of a stable, unified, and peaceful Syria," he added.

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Trump administration to remove Syrian leader's group from terrorist list

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