Story perspectives

Shifting Alliances: HTS Gains Legitimacy Amid Gaza Conflict

1/6/2026

46 9

Summary

Story summary

The January 2020 assassination of General Qassem Soleimani shifted Middle Eastern dynamics.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once labeled a terrorist organization, is now recognized as a legitimate political entity by the United States and European nations.
This normalization of terrorism reflects changing definitions of legitimacy based on geopolitical interests.
The Syrian regime, once a key actor against Israel, now appears passive amid Gaza violence, raising legitimacy concerns.

History

Historical Context

The assassination of General Qassem Soleimani on January 3, 2020, by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad escalated U.S.-Iran tensions, marking a pivotal moment in Middle Eastern geopolitics. Soleimani, a key architect of Iran's regional influence, had supported the Assad regime in Syria. Following his death, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham gained recognition as a political entity, reflecting shifting perceptions of legitimacy in the region.

1 of 2

Story summary

The January 2020 assassination of General Qassem Soleimani shifted Middle Eastern dynamics.
Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once labeled a terrorist organization, is now recognized as a legitimate political entity by the United States and European nations.
This normalization of terrorism reflects changing definitions of legitimacy based on geopolitical interests.
The Syrian regime, once a key actor against Israel, now appears passive amid Gaza violence, raising legitimacy concerns.

1 / 2