Syria was designated a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 under the rule of Assad’s father, Hafez al-Assad, who continued leading the country until he died in 2000 and was succeeded in the presidency by his son. The U.S. increased sanctions against Syria in 2004 and again in 2011 following the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War, contributing to the Syrian population becoming all but entirely cut off from the world economy.
Al-Sharaa himself was previously designated on terrorist lists by the U.S. and the United Nations along with the Islamist militant group he led during the civil war, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The group originated as an affiliate of al-Qaeda under a different name, before breaking ties and establishing itself as the dominant rebel group in northwest Syria, where it fought against Assad’s forces, ISIS, and rival factions.
Despite his role in toppling Assad’s brutal and widely hated regime, Shaara’s ascension and tenure as Syria’s leader has been controversial due to his past. In addition to its prior ties to al-Qaeda, HTS has been accused by the UN and other organizations of human rights abuses against women and children, as well as torturing and executing detainees.