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The UN Security Council voted in favour to an American proposal removing restrictions on Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa before his Washington trip next week.

He became transitional president subsequent to commanding an insurgent campaign that ousted Bashar al-Assad in winter 2024, concluding over a decade of domestic strife.

America's diplomat UN ambassador Mike Waltz said the UN had sent "an emphatic political statement" that affirmed Syria's transition into "a fresh chapter" after Assad's removal.

He had been subject to United Nations restrictions while commanding the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once connected to the terrorist network. America delisted the organization from the catalog of global extremist entities during July.

Further Restrictions Lifted

Additionally, the United Nations lifted sanctions on Syrian Interior Minister the interior minister.

Syria's foreign minister welcomed the removal of the sanctions, declaring through digital channels: "Syrian officials convey thanks to the United States and to friendly nations for assisting the country and its population."

Imminent Washington Talks

The Syrian leader's Washington trip at the start of the week occurs subsequent to President Trump remarked that Sharaa had made "good progress" working toward stability to the previously divided state.

The two leaders convened for the first time in May, while the American president was in Saudi Arabia while traveling through the Middle East.

After that meeting, the US president described him as a "resilient figure" having a "formative history".

His former militant faction served as al-Qaeda's branch in Syria until he severed ties back in 2016.

Previous US Visit

This week's diplomatic engagement does not represent the president's debut journey to America this year. This past fall, he became the first Syrian leader to address the UN General Assembly in Manhattan for nearly six decades.

During his address, he said Syria was "reclaiming its rightful place within the global community" while showing support with the people of Gaza.

• President Sharaa speaks before global body on historic occasion following approximately sixty years
• The high-level talks with the Syrian leader, previously unimaginable, elevates national expectations