UN, US, and UK Lift Sanctions on Syria’s New President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Signaling Formal Recognition of Post-Assad Era
UN, US, and UK Lift Sanctions on Syria’s New President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Signaling Formal Recognition of Post-Assad Era
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The United Nations Security Council, the United States, and the United Kingdom have all lifted sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab, in a coordinated move that marks a significant shift in international policy toward Damascus following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December 2024.
The UN resolution, adopted Thursday with 14 votes in favor and one abstention (China), formally delists al-Sharaa and Khattab from the Daesh and al-Qaeda Sanctions List, ending more than a decade of travel bans and asset freezes. The move recognizes Syria’s “new era” and the leadership’s commitments to counterterrorism, narcotics control, chemical disarmament, and inclusive political reform, according to U.S. envoy Mike Waltz.
On Friday, both Washington and London followed suit. The U.S. Treasury and UK Foreign Office confirmed that all counterterrorism sanctions targeting al-Sharaa—once a senior member of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and a former al-Qaeda affiliate—had been lifted.
State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said the decision recognizes “the progress demonstrated by Syria’s new leadership after five decades of repression under Assad.”
The European Union announced that it would also align its sanctions policy with the UN’s decision, though arms and security restrictions remain in place.
The delisting comes ahead of President al-Sharaa’s first official visit to the White House on Monday, where he is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. The two leaders are expected to discuss counterterrorism cooperation, Syria’s possible inclusion in the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition, and regional reconstruction efforts.
Al-Sharaa’s rise to power followed the December 2024 HTS-led offensive that toppled Assad’s government, ending nearly 14 years of civil war. Once imprisoned at Abu Ghraib and wanted by the U.S. with a $10 million bounty, his political transformation—from militant commander to head of state—has drawn both caution and optimism from world powers.
Diplomats described the UN resolution as a pragmatic acknowledgment of “changed realities on the ground,” aiming to encourage stability, reconstruction, and humanitarian access.
European Commission officials reiterated continued support for “a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led transition,” while U.S. lawmakers hailed the move as “a bold step toward Syria’s reintegration into the international community.”
Analysts say the coordinated lifting of sanctions underscores a major geopolitical shift, as global powers cautiously re-engage with Syria’s post-Assad leadership amid efforts to stabilize the war-torn region.
