The U.S. has lifted a $10 million bounty on Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani, as part of a new agreement following his group's recent victory in Syria's civil war and the collapse of the Assad regime, Newsweek reported.
In a policy shift, the United States announced it had removed the $10 million bounty on Sharaa, the leader of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) after his group successfully ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad earlier this month.
The development follows the rebel forces' dramatic capture of Damascus, leading to Assad's exile and a new chapter in Syria's political future.
Barbara Leaf, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs, met with Sharaa, who has abandoned his former alias, Abu Mohammed al-Golani, in favor of his birth name. The meeting resulted in an agreement to cooperate to prevent terrorist activity within and outside Syria, ensuring no threats arise against the U.S. or its regional allies.
"Syrians have a rare opportunity to rebuild and reshape their country," Leaf said during a digital press briefing. She stressed the importance of supporting Syria's transition and emphasized the U.S. commitment to a political process inclusive of all ethnic and religious communities in the region.
Sharaa's evolution from a jihadist leader to a pivotal political figure is striking.
Having joined Al-Qaeda in the early 2000s, he later founded the Nusra Front during the Syrian Civil War. Over time, he distanced himself from Al-Qaeda, merging Nusra with other groups to form HTS. Despite being designated a global terrorist in 2013 and targeted with a bounty in 2017, Sharaa has now emerged as a key figure in the country's post-Assad reconstruction.
The U.S. decision to remove the bounty reflects Sharaa's alignment with broader regional and international goals, including the fight against extremist groups such as ISIS. Leaf acknowledged the critical role of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in combating ISIS and managing detention facilities for foreign terrorist fighters.
The U.S. is ensuring that nothing "distracts from the critical counter-ISIS fight," Leaf stated, emphasizing the importance of maintaining stability in the region during Syria's political transition.
Addressing concerns about Iran's influence, Leaf clarified that the U.S. seeks to prevent Iran from playing a role in Syria's reconstruction. Iran has displayed "decades of predatory and destructive behavior and presence in Syria," she remarked, highlighting the goal of supporting Syria's sovereignty and ability to manage its affairs without external interference.
"I think what — certainly what our government would like to see is a Syria that can stand on its own two feet, that can regain, like its neighbor Iraq, a full measure of sovereignty over its own affairs," she added.