U.S. meets with Syrian interim head for first time...Syria "was positive"

A diplomatic delegation from the U.S. State Department met with the head of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and HTS, who lead the Syrian transitional government.

According to AFP and other foreign media, a group of diplomats, including U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Area Barbara Leaf, met with Ahmed al-Shara, the head of the HTS, in Damascus, the Syrian capital.

It is the first time the U.S. has sent an official mission since HTS won the Syrian civil war on the 8th.

An official in Syria said he was "positive" about the meeting with the United States, AFP said.

The U.S. side seems to have discussed with the Syrian interim government how to transfer power, wipe out terrorist organizations, dismantle chemical weapons, and human rights issues.

The U.S. imposed various economic sanctions on the former Iranian-backed Syrian regime of al-Assad and designated HTS, which started as an al-Qaeda-linked organization, as a terrorist group in 2018.

However, after HTS ousted Assad's regime and declared victory in the civil war, it is considering lifting such a measure after showing its willingness to rule moderately.

In 2012, the year after the Syrian civil war broke out, the United States cut diplomatic ties between the two countries and closed its embassy in Damascus.