The United Nations Security Council voted decisively on Thursday to remove sanctions from Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a landmark decision that dismantles a key diplomatic barrier ahead of his historic, first-ever visit to Washington.
A resolution drafted by the United States delists the Syrian Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab and upon voting, 14 votes were in favour of the resolution and one vote by China was against. This move formally removes both officials from the UN’s ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List, which lifts a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo that was in motion due to their previous leadership of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an organisation formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda.
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This vote comes just a few days before the Syrian President, Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet with the US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington on Monday, November 10. This would be the first official meeting between the Syrian and the United States government.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz welcomed the vote as a “strong political signal” that the international community recognises Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates collapsed, as cited on ThePrint.
It follows a major U.S. policy shift that started when President Trump announced the lifting of separate U.S. sanctions on Syria in May 2025. The new government under al-Sharaa has been looking for international legitimacy and has been praised by US officials for its support and cooperation on counter-terrorism moves and the efforts that Syria has made to stabilise the country.
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According to the Print reports, Chinese ambassador Fu Cong stated that the resolution did not adequately address threats from foreign terrorist fighters still in Syria, including the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM).
The resolution passed with Russia voting in favour, which is a reversal of its years-long policy of protecting the Assad regime. “It is a message of support for Syrian women and men in their effort to rebuild their homeland,” declared Ibrahim Olabi, Syria’s own UN Ambassador as mentioned in The Print reports
