US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that US officials had been in direct contact with the Syrian rebel group that spearheaded the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad's government but is designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others.

Blinken is the first US official to publicly confirm contacts between the Biden administration and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, which led the coalition of armed opposition groups that ousted Assad last Sunday.

At a news conference in Aqaba, Jordan, Blinken would not discuss the details of the contacts, but said it was important for the US to send messages to the group about its behavior and how it intends to govern in the transition period.

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"Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and other parties," Blinken said. He added that "our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed, and we are ready to help them do that."

Once an al-Qaeda affiliate, HTS has been designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department since 2018. The designation carries severe sanctions, including a ban on providing any "material support" to the group. or its members. However, the sanctions do not legally prevent US officials from communicating with designated groups.

HTS has worked to provide security and initiate a political transition after capturing Damascus, trying to reassure a public both stunned by Assad's fall and worried about extremist jihadists among the rebels. Rebel leaders say the group has broken with its extremist past.

The group's leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, appeared in a video message on Friday in which he congratulated "the great Syrian people for the victory of the blessed revolution."

U.S. officials say Sharaa has welcomed comments about protecting the rights of minorities and women, but they remain skeptical that she will follow through on them in the long term.

On Friday, rebels and Syria's unarmed opposition worked to safely hand over to US officials an American imprisoned by Assad.

US officials continue to search for Austin Tice, an American journalist who disappeared 12 years ago near Damascus.

"We impressed upon everyone we came in contact with how important it was to help find Austin Tice and bring him home," Blinken said.

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