UN Report Sees No Active HTS–Al Qaeda Links, Aiding U.S. Sanctions Bid

United Nations sanctions experts say they have found no “active ties” this year between Al Qaeda and Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist faction that leads Syria’s interim government, according to an unpublished report seen by Reuters. The assessment, which covers the six months to 22 June 2025, notes that HTS broke with Al Qaeda in 2016, though some tactical-level members may still share the group’s ideology. The finding is expected to strengthen a forthcoming U.S. push at the Security Council to revoke UN sanctions on HTS and on Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Washington lifted its own sanctions on Syria in June and this week removed HTS from its list of foreign terrorist organizations, arguing that easing restrictions will aid reconstruction and counter competing Iranian and Russian influence. Diplomatic hurdles remain. Russia and China, whose support is needed for any Security Council action, have voiced worries about some 5,000 foreign fighters in Syria and about integrating militants into the new Syrian army. The UN monitors warn that defections among hard-liners who view Sharaa as a “sell-out” could fuel internal conflict and make the new leadership a target.