The United Nations Security Council voted Thursday to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, endorsing a US-sponsored resolution ahead of his visit to Washington next week.
The resolution, backed by 14 members with China abstaining, removed Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab from the ISIL and Al-Qaida sanctions list. The decision also ended a long-standing assets freeze and arms embargo imposed on Syria’s leadership.
Though largely symbolic, the move marks a diplomatic milestone for Sharaa, whose travel restrictions were previously waived for official visits. Syria hailed the decision as a “recognition of its new path,” with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani thanking Washington and its allies for their support.
US President Donald Trump is set to host Sharaa on November 10 to discuss Syria’s reconstruction, counterterrorism, and regional stability. Washington’s UN envoy Mike Waltz said Sharaa’s administration had made “good progress” in eliminating chemical weapons and curbing extremism.
Sharaa’s upcoming visit will be his second trip to the United States this year, following a landmark speech at the UN General Assembly in September — the first by a Syrian leader in decades. Once affiliated with Al-Qaeda through his former group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Sharaa has recast himself as a reformer seeking global reintegration.
China, despite abstaining, voiced concerns about foreign terrorist fighters in Syria and said its proposed amendments were ignored. Still, Syria’s UN ambassador Ibrahim Olabi praised the outcome as a “united step forward” for the Security Council and the Syrian people.
As Damascus looks to rebuild and mend ties, discussions with Israel are also quietly progressing, raising hopes of a broader regional thaw less than a year after Bashar al-Assad’s fall.