Maldives removes HTS from terrorist list, lifts Syria travel ban

The Maldives has removed Syria’s ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) from its list of recognised terrorist groups and has also removed Syria from the list of countries designated as war zones where travel is prohibited.

The review was conducted by the President’s Office on the advice of the National Security Council, in line with the requirement that both lists be reviewed annually. The updated lists were published in the Government Gazette on Thursday.

HTS assumed control in Syria in December 2024 following the removal of former president Bashar al-Assad. A new president was appointed in January 2025. Despite the change in leadership, HTS remained on the Maldives’ list of recognised terrorist organisations when it was last revised.

According to the government, HTS was removed from the list after being recognised by a number of other countries. As part of the same review, Syria was removed from the list of war zones where Maldivian citizens are barred from travelling.

The United States is among the countries that have accepted HTS as Syria’s governing authority. US President Donald Trump also met with HTS leader and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House.