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U.S. Removes "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" from Designated Terrorist Organizations
The U.S. Department of State announced on Monday, July 7, 2025, its decision to revoke the designation of "Jabhat al-Nusra," also known as "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham," as a foreign terrorist organization. This announcement was made via an official memorandum published on the Department’s website, with the official publication in the Federal Register scheduled for Tuesday.
The memorandum, dated June 23, 2025, and signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicates that the decision was made in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, based on section 219(a)(6)(A) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. It states that "Jabhat al-Nusra, also known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and other aliases, is hereby de-designated as a foreign terrorist organization."
So far, there has been no official comment from Syrian authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding the American decision to remove "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" from the list of terrorist organizations.
It is worth noting that "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" was previously considered the Syrian branch of Al-Qaeda before announcing its separation from the organization in 2016. Additionally, in late January, it was announced that Syrian armed factions, including Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, had dissolved and joined a new Syrian state during a meeting chaired by President Bashar al-Assad with the participation of 18 factions. During the meeting, they confirmed the dissolution of their organizations, the abolition of laws and the parliament of the previous regime, and the dissolution of the People's Assembly, the Baath Party, and the National Progressive Front, as part of restructuring the political and military landscape in the country.
