A confidential United Nations report seen by Reuters reveals that sanctions monitors have found no “active links” this year between Al-Qaeda and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group leading Syria’s transitional government.
This assessment could support U.S. efforts to lift UN sanctions on Syria, with the full report expected to be released in July 2025.
The report also highlights that interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab are viewed as more pragmatic than some hardline elements within HTS’s executive, which still holds more extreme views.
The findings come amid a shift in U.S. policy under the Trump administration, which in May 2025 lifted American sanctions on Syria and removed HTS from its list of designated terrorist organizations.
Washington justified the move as part of its strategy to stabilize Syria and counter Iranian and Russian influence.
Nonetheless, several UN member states have voiced concerns over lingering ideological ties between HTS members and Al-Qaeda, particularly among those involved in the newly formed Syrian Army.
HTS, formerly Al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria before severing ties in 2016, led the offensive that ousted former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, with Ahmad al-Sharaa becoming head of the transitional authority.
Analysts are divided: some argue that lifting sanctions could aid economic recovery and curb extremism, while others see it as a reflection of U.S. priorities to bolster its strategic and economic influence in the region.
