Research details

The United States uses two primary mechanisms to designate terrorist groups and individuals: the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) designation and the Specifically Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) designation, each with distinct legal and financial implications. Ahmad al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani), Syria’s Interim President and de facto leader, is sanctioned under the SDGT designation alone, while his group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) is designated as both an FTO and an SDGT. In addition to US sanctions, al-Sharaa and HTS are listed under the UN ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda sanctions framework (known as a “regime”). The US implements UN sanctions through Executive Orders and Acts of Congress, but does not automatically lift sanctions when the UN removes individuals or groups from its lists.

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