Washington says Iran will have no role in Syria after US diplomats meet with HTS leader

(Patria) - Iran will have no future role in Syria, the top US diplomat for the Middle East said on Friday, hours after meeting with the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus, Al Arabiya reported.

Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (NEA) Barbara Leaf also
said that the $10 million bounty on Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom the US has designated a terrorist, is no longer offered.

Senior US officials met with the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on Friday during their first trip to Syria since the fall of the al-Assad regime last week, Al Arabiya English earlier reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

In the first visit by US diplomats since al-Assad fled Damascus, Barbara Leaf was accompanied by Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Ambassador Roger Carstens and NEA Senior Advisor Daniel Rubinstein.

Barbara Leaf said al-Sharaa promised not to allow terrorist groups to operate in Syria, threaten the US or neighboring countries.

Asked about Iran's future role, Leaf said: "If I am to judge by today, Iran will have no role and should not."

"Frankly, Iran has decades of the most predatory destructive behavior and presence in Syria and during the war itself, of course, it mobilized foreign militias, its own IRGC forces, Hezbollah fighters, and really hunted and truly viciously brutalized the Syrian people," she added.

The US embassy in Syria, which has been closed for years, earlier said Leaf met with HTS officials but did not specify the HTS leader.

"They also touched on regional developments, Syria's intention to be a good neighbor, and the importance of joint efforts in the fight against terrorism," the embassy said in a post on X.

Ahmad al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of HTS, the former Syrian Al-Qaeda affiliate, has been designated a terrorist by the US. It is unclear whether the US will revoke this designation and remove HTS from its terrorist blacklist.