Syrian rebels
Syrian rebelsReuters/Emin Sansar/Anadolu

The United States has raised concerns with Asaad Hassan al-Shibani, the new foreign minister in Syria’s transitional administration, over recent reports of violent attacks carried out by militant groups across the country, US officials told Axios on Monday.

According to the report, US officials fear that reprisals by militants aligned with the rebels who ousted the Assad regime earlier this month, especially those targeting minority communities or individuals associated with the ousted regime, could jeopardize stabilization efforts in the war-torn nation.

Al-Shibani serves as the chief aide to Ahmed al-Sharaa, the de facto leader of Syria and head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), currently the most powerful armed faction in the country.

HTS was once a part of Al-Nusra Front, which is Syria’s Al-Qaeda branch, and is labeled a terrorist organization by many Western governments.

HTS later broke off from Al-Nusra Front and prioritized combatting Al-Qaeda as well as the Islamic State (ISIS), of which al-Sharaa was critical, describing its self-proclaimed caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq as "illegitimate".

Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has sought to rebrand both himself and HTS as more moderate and has urged Western nations to lift sanctions imposed on Syria under the Assad regime.

In a groundbreaking move last week, US diplomats met with al-Sharaa for the first time, informing him that a $10 million bounty on his head had been withdrawn.

Violence erupted last week in Tartus, on Syria’s coast, as militants linked to the Assad regime clashed with police aligned with the transitional government. According to the Syrian Interior Ministry, the clashes resulted in the deaths of 14 policemen and several militants.

Following those clashes, Syria’s newly established authorities initiated a major security operation in Tartus province, targeting remnants of the Assad government. The Tartus region is predominantly Alawite, a minority Islamic sect that represents around 10% of Syria’s population whose members have voiced fears of being targeted under the new administration.

Videos circulating online allegedly depict HTS-linked militants or government security forces beating, cursing, and threatening Alawite men during arrests, according to Axios.

- A US official confirmed to the website that the State Department is aware of these videos and is investigating the allegations.

On Sunday, Daniel Rubinstein, the US State Department envoy, met with al-Shibani in Damascus to address these concerns, according to two US officials.

Rubinstein emphasized the need to halt acts of violence, intimidation, and retribution against minorities, warning that such incidents could escalate internal tensions and allow Assad-affiliated forces or ISIS to exploit the situation.

Al-Shibani claimed that the violence was largely perpetrated by other armed groups, not HTS, and reiterated the transitional government’s opposition to such actions.

A US official explained that the new administration is attempting to demobilize militias and integrate them into a unified Syrian army.

A State Department spokesperson confirmed ongoing dialogue with HTS but declined to discuss the specifics of private diplomatic conversations.

“We believe HTS should respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Syrians, including members of minority groups and women. We will be continuing to watch and see that actions match words,” the spokesperson told Axios.