(Reuters) - Refugees from Syria's long civil war were making their way home on Wednesday as a newly appointed interim prime minister announced his role.

U.S. officials, engaging with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), urged them not to assume automatic leadership of the country but to instead oversee an inclusive process to form a transitional government.

The new government must "uphold clear commitments to fully respect the rights of minorities, facilitate the flow of humanitarian assistance to all in need, prevent Syria from being used as a base for terrorism, or posing a threat to its neighbors," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

In a brief address on state television on Tuesday, Mohammed al-Bashir, a figure little known across most of Syria, stated he would lead the interim authority until March 1.

"Today we held a cabinet meeting that included a team from the Salvation Government, which had been working in Idlib and its vicinity, along with representatives from the government of the ousted regime," he said.