US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Saturday that the US has direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that is trying to topple the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
“Yes, we are in contact with HTS and other parties,” Blinken said, adding, “Our message to the Syrian people is this: we want them to succeed and we are ready to help them do that.”
Speaking after a meeting with Arab and Turkish foreign ministers in Jordan, Blinken said a joint statement had been agreed, outlining the principles other countries want to follow in Syria’s political transition, including inclusiveness and respect for minorities.
Meanwhile, amid its role in the Syrian conflict, HTS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and other countries.
Five decades of rule by Assad’s family ended on Sunday when he fled to Moscow, where the government had granted him asylum. Iran backed Assad in Syria’s long civil war and his ouster was seen as a major blow to the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance”, a political and military alliance opposed to Israeli and US influence in the Middle East.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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