US Removes Syrian Group from Terrorist List as Its Leader Now Runs the Country

The US removed Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham from its terrorist list on August 25, 2026. HTS once belonged to al-Qaeda's network but broke away in 2016 and overthrew Syria's ruler, Bashar al-Assad, in late 2024. Its leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is now Syria's president. A terrorist list is a government ban on dangerous groups — removing HTS signals the US accepts the new reality.