 "US seeks UN nod to lift sanctions on Syrian President al-Sharaa ahead of White House visit")
The United States is seeking UN Security Council approval to remove sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and key members of his government ahead of his planned visit to the White House.
According to a draft resolution obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, Washington is proposing that the 15-member council lift sanctions targeting al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister, Anas Hasan Khattab. The resolution could be brought to a vote as early as Thursday, a source familiar with the matter said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
For the measure to pass, it would need the support of at least nine council members and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members: China, Russia, Britain, France and the United States.
US officials are reportedly aiming to secure approval before al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington on Monday. This trip would mark the first time a Syrian president has been hosted at the White House since Syria gained independence in 1946.
During the visit, Syria is expected to join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, a partnership of around 80 countries aimed at preventing the extremist group’s resurgence.
The move forms part of President Donald Trump’s broader strategy to rebuild relations with Syria following the end of the Assad family’s 50-year rule in December. The ouster of Bashar Assad, led by al-Sharaa, also concluded nearly 14 years of civil war.
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View AllSince assuming power, al-Sharaa has worked to mend ties with Arab nations and Western countries, which initially viewed him warily due to his past connections with the al-Qaida-linked militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, previously designated a terrorist organization by the United States.
Trump met al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May and announced that he would lift decades of sanctions against the war-torn country. He followed through by ordering a large swath of sanctions lifted or waived.
However, the most stringent sanctions were imposed by Congress in 2019 and will require a congressional vote to remove them permanently.
Syria’s conflict broke out in early 2011 and left nearly half a million people dead and millions displaced, including many who are now refugees. The war caused wide destruction, and Syria will need tens of billions of dollars to rebuild.
In May, Ramesh Rajasingham, the UN humanitarian division’s chief coordinator, told the Security Council that 90% of Syrians live in poverty, with 16.5 million needing protection and humanitarian assistance, including nearly 3 million facing acute food insecurity.
With inputs from agencies
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