The United States has lifted global terrorist sanctions on Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his upcoming meeting with President Donald Trump, marking a major step toward Syria’s reintegration into the international community.
The United States has officially removed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa from its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list, signaling a significant diplomatic shift ahead of his planned visit to Washington next week.
According to AL JAZEERA reporting, the US Department of the Treasury made the announcement on Friday, just a day after the United Nations Security Council voted to lift largely symbolic sanctions on al-Sharaa.
The move comes as part of broader efforts to ease restrictions on Syria following years of civil war and the ouster of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Al-Sharaa, a former fighter once linked to al-Qaeda, will become the first Syrian president to visit the White House when he meets President Donald Trump on November 10. Both Washington and the UN also removed Syria’s Interior Minister, Anas Hasan Khattab, another ex-fighter, from their respective sanctions lists.
“With the adoption of this text, the council is sending a strong political signal that recognises Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled,” said US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz.
The US Congress is reportedly considering further repeals of Syria-related sanctions to support reconstruction and economic recovery efforts.