The U.S. State Department has revoked its Foreign Terrorist Organization designation for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian Islamist movement formerly known as the al-Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. A notice previewed in the Federal Register on 7 July says Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed the decision on 23 June after consulting the Justice and Treasury departments. The revocation will take legal effect on 8 July. HTS led the rebel offensive that toppled long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The group’s former commander, Ahmed al-Sharaa, now serves as Syria’s interim president and has pledged to break with transnational jihadist agendas. Washington’s delisting forms part of a broader realignment of U.S. policy toward Damascus. On 30 June President Donald Trump signed an executive order terminating most U.S. sanctions on Syria, a step the White House said would support the country’s “path to stability and peace.” In the revocation memo Rubio wrote, “I hereby revoke the designation of al-Nusrah Front, also known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.” While the State Department offered no immediate conditions, U.S. officials have linked wider engagement to Syria’s cooperation on counter-terrorism, protection of minorities and moves toward normalising ties with Israel. The decision has already drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill and from human-rights groups, which cite continuing reports of sectarian violence in areas controlled by HTS-led security forces. Lawmakers are expected to press the administration for assurances that the group’s break with al-Qaeda and its commitment to inclusive governance are enduring.