In his final month in President Joe Biden's administration, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his country's stance on the new authorities in Syria.
Blinken emphasized the need to see tangible and effective steps on the ground to form an inclusive and non-sectarian government.
In an interview with Bloomberg, he added that the U.S. wants to clarify to "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham," led by Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who has become the de facto ruler of Syria following the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad and the formation of a temporary transitional government, that recognition and removal from the sanctions list require meeting certain expectations.
He also mentioned that the U.S. administration is reviewing the sanctions imposed on the country during Assad's years in power.
This statement comes as a high-level American delegation is expected to visit Damascus to meet with Al-Sharaa in the coming days.
It also follows the reception of several Western, particularly European, delegations in the Syrian capital, as well as UN envoy Geir Pedersen, who met with Al-Sharaa to discuss various issues.
Additionally, there have been European calls to reconsider the American and European sanctions imposed on Syria due to the violations of the previous regime.