US currently not reviewing designation of Syrian group HTS: State Department

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US is currently not reviewing the terrorist designation of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a leading group in the downfall of Syria's Assad regime, but future changes remain possible, the State Department said Monday.

“We are always reviewing our sanctions posture with entities based on their actions, so when entities take different actions, of course, there could be a change in our sanctions posture,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

"There can be a change in our sanctions posture, but we have nothing new to announce today," he added.

HTS has been designated as a terrorist organization by the US, UK, UN and Türkiye. However, the group and its leader, Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, have sought to rebrand themselves as a more moderate force in Syria, emphasizing inclusion and a political path forward.

"We have heard some hopeful statements out of HTS. We have heard them saying the right things about inclusion and a political process forward. But ultimately, we're going to judge them by their actions, and our policy response will be determined by the actions they take," Miller said.

- US doesn't rule out engagement with HTS

He added that the US wants to have conversations with "key groups" inside Syria, including HTS, either directly or indirectly.

"We want to make clear to them the same points that you have heard the president make publicly. We also want to engage with any organization that might have information about the whereabouts of (American journalist) Austin Tice so we can try and bring Austin home," he said.

He added that the US has a number of ways of communicating, sometimes directly, sometimes with intermediaries, with various groups either inside Syria or outside Syria.

"We have been engaging in those conversations over the past few days. The Secretary himself has been engaged in conversations with countries that have influence inside Syria," Miller said, declining to get into the details of the conversations.