Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed direct U.S. contact with Syria’s Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) rebels, signaling a potential shift in U.S. policy toward Syria’s governance. Despite HTS’s terrorist designation, discussions focus on supporting Syria’s transition away from Bashar al-Assad’s rule.

The United States has had direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Syrian rebel group now in de-facto control of the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday.

The US has had direct talks with the rebel group that took power in Syria, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday in Jordan, as he wrapped up a Middle East trip focused on the way forward after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Blinken ...