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Security Council representatives voted in favour to a United States-backed measure ending penalties on President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria prior to his presidential meeting the following week.

He became provisional head of state after leading a rebel offensive that ousted the former president in December 2024, ending thirteen long years of internal conflict.

The US representative UN ambassador Mike Waltz said the UN had sent "an emphatic political statement" that acknowledged Syria entered "a fresh chapter" since Assad was deposed.

Previously, he faced global penalties in his role as head of the religious organization Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), once connected to the terrorist network. The US removed the organization from the catalog of international terrorist organizations in July.

Additional Sanctions Relief

The UN also removed restrictions targeting Syria's Interior Minister Minister Anas Khattab.

Syria's foreign minister welcomed the removal of the penalties, stating online: "The nation shows its gratitude to the United States and allied countries for backing the country and its population."

Upcoming White House Meeting

The Syrian leader's Washington trip at the start of the week comes after American leader Donald Trump stated the Middle Eastern president had made "good progress" in establishing peace to the conflict-ravaged nation.

Both presidents held discussions for the first time during May, when Trump visited Riyadh during a visit to Arab nations.

Subsequent to that discussion, Trump portrayed the Syrian as a "strong individual" with a "very strong past".

The HTS organization he led operated as the terrorist network's partner within Syria prior to breaking relations back in 2016.

Prior United States Journey

The upcoming meeting is not Sharaa's first trip to the United States during this period. In September, he became the first Syrian leader to speak before the global assembly in New York after approximately sixty years.

During his address, he declared the nation was "restoring its proper position within the global community" and demonstrated unity with Palestinian citizens in Gaza.

• Syrian leader addresses UN General Assembly for first time after nearly six decades
• Trump's meeting with Sharaa, once considered impossible, enhances Syrian aspirations