According to the sources, the diplomat will hold talks with Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who currently heads the Department of Military Operations, which de facto governs the country.

Leaf is accompanied by the presidential envoy for Hostage Affairs, Roger Carstens, and the newly appointed advisor Daniel Rubinstein, who was recently reassigned to lead the US State Department’s efforts in Syria.

The talks are expected to address the results of the recent Aqaba Meeting and the fate of missing US citizens Austin Tice, Majd Kamalmaz and others.

Leaf will also meet with representatives of Syrian civil society, activists and members of various communities.

This is the first visit by US officials to Syria in many years, and is part of the possibility of diplomatic engagement with the transitional government after the overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad’s administration on the 8th of this month.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced last week that the US had reached out directly to Hayet Tahrir al-Sham, which it classifies as a terrorist organization.

Washington reaffirmed the need to form an inclusive and comprehensive Syrian government on the basis of equality and non-exclusion.

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