Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed direct U.S. contact with Syria’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebels, signaling a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Syria’s governance. Despite HTS’s terrorist designation, discussions focus on supporting Syria’s transition away from Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

The United States has had direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian rebel group now in de-facto control of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday that American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that spearheaded the overthrow of President Bashar Assad’s