The US Embassy said that a press conference organized by US diplomats in Syria after a meeting with the country’s new leader was canceled due to “security concerns”.
A US official did not confirm what the concerns were, or whether diplomats had met with the country’s new ruler, Ahmed al-Sharaa. Instead, a briefing will be held virtually later on Friday, they said.
Shortly after, the US military said it killed an Islamic State (IS) leader in an airstrike in Syria.
The US delegation arrived in Damascus to meet with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad less than two weeks ago but which Washington still designates as a terrorist group.
The visit is the first official US diplomatic appearance in Damascus in more than a decade.
It’s another sign of the dramatic changes taking place in Syria since Assad’s ouster, as well as the pace of efforts by the US and Europe, also relying on Arab countries, to try to influence influence the country’s emerging government.
The visit follows visits by delegations in recent days from the United Nations and other countries including Britain, France and Germany.
The delegation of senior officials included Assistant Secretary of State Barbara Leaf, Roger Carstens, US President Joe Biden’s special envoy for hostages, and Daniel Rubinstein, senior adviser to the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
“They will speak directly to the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of various communities and other Syrian voices about their vision for with the country’s future and how the United States can help support them,” said one state. A spokesperson for the ministry said in an earlier statement.
The meeting demonstrated readiness to deal with HTS, an organization that the US still considers a terrorist organization but is pressuring it to transition to an inclusive, non-sectarian government.
Washington is effectively setting a series of conditions before considering disqualifying the group – an important step that could help ease the path towards sanctions relief that Damascus desperately needs .
Officials are seeking more information to help find American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Damascus in 2012.
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that IS leader Abu Yusif and two of his operatives were killed in an airstrike in Syria’s northeastern province of Dayr az Zawr.
In a statement Friday, it said the airstrike was launched on Thursday and carried out in an area previously controlled by the Assad regime and Russian forces supporting his government.
CENTCOM Commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla said the US will not allow IS to “take advantage of the current situation in Syria and rebuild”, and said the group intends to free more than 8,000 IS rebels detained in Syria. Syria.
