UN Lifts Penalties on President of Syria Ahead of White House Visit
Security Council representatives gave the green light to an American proposal ending penalties on President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria ahead of his presidential meeting the following week.
He was appointed provisional head of state after leading a rebel offensive that ousted Bashar al-Assad in winter 2024, concluding thirteen long years of civil war.
Washington's ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz declared the global body transmitted "an emphatic political statement" that affirmed Syria's transition into "a fresh chapter" after Assad's removal.
He had been subject to global penalties while commanding the religious organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly linked to the terrorist network. Washington eliminated the organization from the catalog of global extremist entities during July.
Additional Sanctions Relief
Additionally, the United Nations lifted restrictions targeting Syria's Interior Minister the interior minister.
The nation's top diplomat welcomed the removal of the penalties, declaring through digital channels: "The nation shows its gratitude toward America and allied countries for backing the country and its population."
Upcoming White House Meeting
President Sharaa's presidential meeting at the start of the week comes after US President Donald Trump said the Syrian leader had made "good progress" in establishing peace to the conflict-ravaged nation.
The pair met for the first time during May, while the American president was in Saudi Arabia on a tour of the region.
Following that encounter, Trump portrayed Sharaa as a "tough guy" having a "formative history".
His Islamist group HTS served as al-Qaeda's branch within Syria before he cut connections back in 2016.
Earlier American Trip
Monday's visit does not represent Sharaa's first trip to the US during this period. In September, he became the first Syrian leader to address the global assembly in New York for nearly six decades.
Throughout his presentation, he stated the country had been "regaining its deserved status within the global community" and expressed solidarity with the people of Gaza.
- President Sharaa speaks before global body for first time in almost 60 years
- The presidential discussion with President Sharaa, once considered impossible, boosts Syrians' hopes
