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The United States has been in direct contact with the Islamist movement that led the offensive to oust Bashar al-Assad despite its designation as a terrorist organization, as Western and regional powers seek a peaceful transition in Syria.
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken became the first US official to admit that Washington had been in contact with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which has taken control of Damascus.
After meeting with his regional counterparts in Jordan, he said the United States and its allies agreed on a “set of shared principles” to guide their support for Syria, including a Syrian-led political transition that is “inclusive and representative” and respects all minorities.
Blinken said the principles had been “communicated” to the country's new leaders.
He added: “As we see Syria moving in this direction, and in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, taking these steps, we in turn will look at the various sanctions and other measures we have taken and we will respond in kind.” .
The United States, the United Nations and the European Union classify Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a former branch of Al-Qaeda, as a terrorist organization.
Group leader Abu Muhammad Al-Julani He was designated a terrorist a decade ago and the United States placed a $10 million bounty on his head. Al-Julani renounced his links to Al-Qaeda in 2016 and sought to rebrand himself as a more moderate Islamist leader.
The United States and other Western powers are also imposing sanctions on the Syrian state, which has been torn apart by more than 13 years of civil war and decades of Assad's oppressive, corrupt rule.
Western countries and others in the region are scrambling to respond to rapidly unfolding events in Syria after Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham led a lightning attack that ended the Assad family's five-decade rule in the war-torn Arab country in less than two weeks. .
After advancing on Damascus last weekend with other rebel factions, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham appointed an interim prime minister who will lead an interim government until March. It has repeatedly pledged to protect minorities.
The fall of Assad, who fled to Russia, sparked scenes of jubilation across Syria, but also uncertainty about what comes next.
Blinken said the United States appreciates “some of the positive words we've heard in recent days, but what really matters is action and sustained action.”
“This cannot be a one-day decision or event. This must be sustained over time,” Blinken said.
The challenges facing Syria are huge as the country has been ravaged by years of war and dictatorial rule. The economy is collapsing, and civil conflict has forced millions from their homes and left many in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
It is also a nation with a diverse mix of religions and sects, and multiple armed factions.
Blinken said there were shortages of fuel and wheat, adding that the United States and its partners would focus on “the need in the near term.”
Under Assad, Syria relied on Iran, which supported the regime in the civil war, for the vast majority of its oil imports. But Tehran withdrew thousands of Iranians from the country as the rebels advanced towards Damascus.
It imported wheat from Russia, which also supported Assad during the conflict that broke out after the regime brutally crushed a popular uprising in 2011.
The United States has about 900 troops in Syria, where they support the fight against ISIS and support Kurdish-led militants in the battle against the jihadist group.
Türkiye considers Kurdish fighters an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which has been fighting the Turkish state for four decades.
Ankara supports Syrian opposition groups that have coordinated with Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham in the offensive against Assad but have also fought alongside Kurdish militants.
Blinken said that the transitional phase in Syria was “a moment of weakness in which ISIS will seek to reorganize its ranks.”
