Trump Administration Revokes Terrorist Label for Syrian Group

Trump Administration Revokes Terrorist Label for Syrian Group
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The Trump administration has revoked the terrorist designation for Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the militant group that overthrew former Syrian president and now controls Syria, Reuters reports. HTS, once Syria’s al-Qaeda branch, was previously designated a terrorist group under the name al-Nusra Front.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the removal of the designation, following consultation with the Attorney General and Treasury Secretary. The group’s leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty, met President Trump in June, offering economic cooperation and improved ties with Israel.

The move comes after Trump signed an executive order lifting broad sanctions on Syria to aid economic recovery. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the decision aims to rebuild Syria’s commercial ties while still blocking destabilizing actors. Further sanction relief depends on Congress, where bipartisan lawmakers have introduced legislation to lift remaining measures restricting Syria’s banking and energy sectors.