In their first in-person meeting with the leaders of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham since the former al Qaeda affiliate overthrew Syria's long-time President Bashar al-Assad two weeks ago, al-Sharaa "came across as pragmatic", Barbara Leaf, top Middle East diplomat at the State Department, told reporters.

Leaf, who was the head of the US delegation, said in a briefing that the US officials reiterated that Syria's new government should be inclusive. It should also ensure that terrorist groups cannot pose a threat. "Ahmed al-Sharaa committed to this," Leaf said.

Western governments are gradually opening channels to HTS and al-Sharaa, a former commander of an al Qaeda franchise in Syria, and starting to debate whether to remove the group's terrorist designation.