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Security Council representatives gave the green light to an American proposal ending penalties on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his Washington trip the following week.

Sharaa was named interim leader after leading a revolutionary movement that drove out Bashar al-Assad in the final month of 2024, ending thirteen long years of civil war.

The US representative UN ambassador Mike Waltz said the UN had sent "a strong political signal" that affirmed Syria's transition into "a different period" since Assad was deposed.

He had been subject to United Nations restrictions in his role as head of the Islamist group the HTS movement, which was formerly linked to al-Qaeda. America delisted HTS from a list of foreign terror groups during July.

Additional Sanctions Relief

Additionally, the United Nations lifted penalties against the Syrian interior official Minister Anas Khattab.

The nation's top diplomat applauded the lifting of these restrictions, posting on social media: "Syrian officials convey thanks to the United States and allied countries for backing of Syria and its people."

Upcoming White House Meeting

The Syrian leader's Washington trip at the start of the week follows American leader Donald Trump said the Syrian leader demonstrated "substantial headway" towards bringing peace to the conflict-ravaged nation.

The pair met initially in May, when Trump visited Riyadh during a visit to the Middle East.

Subsequent to that discussion, America's leader characterized Sharaa as a "tough guy" having a "formative history".

His Islamist group HTS operated as the terrorist network's partner within Syria prior to breaking relations in 2016.

Earlier American Trip

This week's diplomatic engagement does not represent his initial visit to the United States this year. This past fall, he emerged as the pioneering Middle Eastern head of state to address the UN General Assembly in Manhattan after approximately sixty years.

Throughout his presentation, he declared the nation was "reclaiming its rightful place across international circles" while showing support toward Gaza's residents.

• President Sharaa speaks before global body initially after nearly six decades
• The presidential discussion with Sharaa, previously unimaginable, enhances Syrian aspirations