U.S. Revokes Terrorist Designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham: What Are the Background and Key Details of the Decision?
United States Revokes Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
The U.S. Department of State has announced the revocation of the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation of Jabhat al-Nusra, currently known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), under the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. The decision is set to take effect on July 8, 2025, following its official publication in the Federal Register.
Revoking the Foreign Terrorist Organization Designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham https://t.co/p0QfqhjtXt
— U.S. Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) July 7, 2025
According to an official statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the decision follows a presidential directive issued on May 13 regarding the easing of sanctions on Syria. It is also part of broader steps to implement the Executive Order issued on June 30, titled “Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions.”
The statement noted that the revocation was made in consultation with the Attorney General and the Secretary of the Treasury, and includes all associated aliases and designations of Jabhat al-Nusra and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. It also referenced the announced dissolution of HTS and the new Syrian government’s stated commitment—under President Ahmed al-Sharaa—to combating terrorism in all its forms.
The United States originally designated Jabhat al-Nusra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization on December 11, 2012, and added it to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
