WASHINGTON — The State Department announced on Monday that it is not currently conducting a review of the “foreign terrorist organization” label assigned to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the primary Syrian rebel faction that recently helped remove Bashar Assad from power. However, officials noted that such designations are always under continuous assessment, and the existing label doesn’t restrict U.S. representatives from having conversations with the group.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller clarified that there was no specific review related to recent events but confirmed that they are perpetually evaluating their designation policies. He suggested that any potential shifts in sanctions would depend on HTS’s future actions, although nothing is set for the present.
Miller indicated that a review process could be prompted if HTS made significant changes that would address the reasons behind its designation as a foreign terrorist entity. He emphasized that any modifications would strictly depend on the group’s behavior going forward. The current designation carries multiple sanctions, including the prohibition against providing “material support” to HTS; however, Miller asserted that this would not necessarily impede U.S. officials from communicating with members of the group.
A senior administration official, speaking under anonymity to discuss sensitive matters, pointed out that HTS will play a crucial role in Syria’s future, underscoring the necessity for U.S. engagement tailored to national interests. Miller referenced prior negotiations by the Trump administration with the Taliban regarding U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, while noting that the Taliban holds a different designation that results in more lenient sanctions.
He reiterated that officials in the U.S. possess the legal capacity to interact with designated terrorist organizations when it serves national interests. In addition, President Joe Biden and King Abdullah II of Jordan held a phone conversation concerning the swiftly changing landscape in Syria and collaborative measures to prevent the Islamic State from capitalizing on the upheaval, as reported by the White House.
During their discussion, Biden and the Jordanian leader reviewed the recent U.S. airstrikes targeting ISIS leaders and combatants in the Syrian desert, alongside efforts to reach a ceasefire and facilitate hostage negotiations in Gaza. This conversation occurred while Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs John Bass and Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf were conducting talks with key partners in the region. They were in Amman, Jordan, on Monday, having spent the weekend in Doha, Qatar, as per the State Department’s announcement.
Since the onset of Syria’s civil war in 2011, more than a million refugees have streamed into Jordan, and Jordanian officials are eager to avoid another influx of displaced individuals following the recent changes in government. The White House indicated that President Biden affirmed the U.S. commitment to support Jordan’s stability and its pivotal role in fostering peace and reducing tensions in the wider Middle East region.
In a separate development, the State Department reported that the U.S. has coordinated with local entities to secure the U.S. Embassy compound in Damascus, which has been inactive since 2012. The location was previously safeguarded by the Czech Embassy, which has since closed its doors amid growing instability in the Syrian capital. However, details regarding the local groups involved in this arrangement have not been disclosed.
