UN Security Council Lifts Sanctions on Syrian President Ahead of Historic US Visit

The United Nations Security Council voted to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab. The U.S.-backed resolution, adopted by 14 members with China abstaining, removes sanctions linked to their past associations with al-Qaida. The move comes just before al-Sharaa’s planned White House visit, the first by a Syrian president since 1946. The decision signals confidence in Syria’s political transition post-Bashar al-Assad and aims to facilitate economic recovery and international reengagement, while tougher Caesar Act sanctions remain under U.S. congressional review.