US Secretary of State acknowledges direct contact with Syria's HTS rebels

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, has confirmed direct contact between the US government and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the US since 2018. This marks the first public acknowledgment of direct communication between the US and HTS. The contact is believed to have taken place in an effort to engage with various parties in the region, including HTS, following the group's role in the coalition that overthrew President Bashar al-Assad's government. The Biden administration has acknowledged the sensitive nature of these talks.