Barbara Leaf also revealed that she had told Ahmed al-Sharaa, a US-designated terrorist, that Washington would no longer pursue the $10 million bounty on his head
Iran will have no future role in Syria, the top US diplomat for the Middle East said Friday, hours after meeting the leader of “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham” (HTS) in Damascus.
Senior US officials met with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, a US-designated terrorist, during their first trip to Syria since the fall of the al-Assad regime last week, Al Arabiya English earlier reported.
In a call with reporters after the trip to Syria, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf revealed that she had told al-Sharaa that Washington would no longer pursue the $10 million bounty on his head. It is unclear whether or not the US will revoke al-Sharaa’s terror designation and remove the HTS from its terror blacklist.
Leaf said al-Sharaa vowed to not allow terrorist groups to operate in Syria or threaten the US or neighboring countries.
Asked about Iran’s future role in Syria, Leaf said: “If I’m to judge by today, Iran will have no role whatsoever, and it shouldn’t.”
She added: “Frankly, Iran has had decades now of the most predatory destructive behavior and presence in Syria and during the war itself, of course, mustered foreign militias, its own IRGC forces, Hezbollah fighters, and really preyed upon and really viciously brutalized the Syrian people.”
One official said that a press conference was canceled due to security concerns. But Leaf said it was more for logistical reasons than any serious security threats. Celebratory protests were planned in an area where the US diplomats needed to pass through to leave the country, leading security officials to scrap the press briefing. Officials said the US delegation left Syria for Jordan after their meetings.
Leaf was accompanied by Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, and a senior advisor, Daniel Rubinstein. Rubinstein will serve as a Senior Advisor in the Bureau of Near East Affairs and will lead the State Department’s diplomatic engagement on Syria. He’ll engage directly with the Syrian people and key parties in Syria, a State Department official said ahead of their trip.
The US Embassy in Syria, which has been shuttered for years, earlier said Leaf met with HTS officials but did not specify the HTS leader. “They also touched on regional events, Syria’s intention to be a good neighbor and the importance of common efforts on terrorism,” the embassy said in a post on X.
NEA A/S Leaf met today with HTS officials to discuss principles agreed upon by the U.S. and partners in Aqaba – support for an inclusive Syrian led political process that results in representative government, which respects the rights of all Syrians.— U.S. Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) December 20, 2024
Separately, the US military killed two ISIS operatives on Thursday, including its leader in Deir Ezzor, in an area formerly controlled by Russia and the Assad regime. “ISIS has intent to break out of detention over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria,” the head of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. This is at least the third publicly claimed operation against ISIS by the US since the fall of the Assad regime. Washington has serious concerns about ISIS regrouping and reviving its terrorist activities. Meanwhile, Turkish operations against the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have raised eyebrows and increased worries about the campaign to defeat ISIS.
