The US has decided to no longer offer a $10 million reward for information about the whereabouts of Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, better known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani. He is the leader of the powerful jihadist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. This change came after a high-level meeting between US diplomats and the leaders of HTS in Damascus last Friday.
The meeting marks a huge shift in US policy, as it was the first time American officials visited Syria since 2012 when the US closed its embassy in Damascus. The meeting was led by Barbara Leaf, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. She met with al-Sharaa and other key leaders from HTS to discuss major issues in the region, including preventing terrorist groups from operating in Syria and protecting the rights of women and minorities.
This dramatic decision follows a major shift in Syria’s political landscape. Earlier this month, HTS forces launched a surprise attack across Syria, capturing several major cities, including the capital, Damascus. In the chaos that followed, Syrian President Bashar Assad stepped down and fled to Russia for asylum.
As part of the new diplomatic engagement with Syria’s new leaders, Leaf and her team discussed the future of US-Syria relations. One of the key topics was the fate of American journalist Austin Tice, who has been missing in Syria since 2012. While the US is still trying to locate Tice, the meeting marked a significant step in the US approach to the ongoing Syrian crisis.
Leaf explained why the US decided to end the reward for al-Sharaa: “If I’m sitting down with the HTS leader and having a serious discussion, it wouldn’t make sense to keep a bounty on his head,” she said. “It’s a bit contradictory.” Despite this, HTS is still listed as a terrorist organization by the US, and sanctions against the group remain in place.
This surprising diplomatic move is part of a broader strategy by the US to deal with Syria’s new leadership. While it’s unclear whether the US will officially recognize the new Syrian government, it’s clear that Washington is changing its approach to the situation in the region.
In the background, the US military has been increasing its presence in Syria. Just before Assad’s resignation, the US sent more troops to the region—about 2,000 soldiers—to help prevent the rise of ISIS in the chaos. The Pentagon also conducted airstrikes on ISIS positions, killing a key leader of the group.
For now, the reopening of the US embassy in Syria seems unlikely, but future diplomatic recognition will depend on how Syria’s new government behaves.
This move by the US signals a new chapter in the long-running Syrian conflict. What happens next could reshape the future of the Middle East.
