In a move that many are calling historic, the United Nations Security Council voted on Thursday, November 6, 2025, to lift terrorism-related sanctions on Syria’s transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab. The decision comes just days before al-Sharaa’s scheduled visit to the White House, marking the first time a Syrian president will set foot in Washington since Syria gained independence in 1946. The resolution, championed by the United States, passed with 14 votes in favor and only China abstaining—a striking show of international consensus after years of conflict and diplomatic deadlock.
The UN’s action is the latest in a cascade of policy shifts that have followed the dramatic ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Assad’s fall, after more than a decade of brutal civil war, was brought about by a lightning-fast offensive led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). This group, once designated a terrorist organization by the UN and widely known as al-Qaeda’s official wing in Syria until 2016, swept into Damascus in just 12 days, ending the Assad family’s 53-year reign. Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Mohammed Al-Jolani, emerged as the new face of Syria, taking the helm as transitional president.
The sanctions that were lifted had been in place since May 2014, targeting HTS and key figures like al-Sharaa and Khattab with asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes. According to Reuters, the United States had been urging the 15-member Security Council for months to ease these restrictions, especially as al-Sharaa began to take on a more prominent diplomatic role. In fact, a Security Council sanctions committee had already been granting al-Sharaa travel exemptions throughout 2025, allowing him to represent Syria abroad despite the formal sanctions.
“The council is sending a strong political signal that recognizes Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled,” said US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz after the vote, as reported by BBC. Waltz went on to praise the Syrian government’s efforts to counter terrorism, eliminate remnants of chemical weapons, and promote regional security and stability. “The government is working hard to fulfill its commitments on countering terrorism and narcotics, on eliminating any remnants of chemical weapons, and promoting regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process.”
But the international path to normalizing Syria’s status was hardly straightforward. The group at the forefront of Assad’s ouster—HTS—had long been proscribed as a terrorist organization. The United States took the first step in July 2025 by removing HTS from its list of foreign terror groups, a move followed by the United Kingdom in October. The UN’s formal delisting this week is seen as a largely symbolic gesture, as the sanctions had already been waived for al-Sharaa’s official travels, but it carries significant political weight. As Al Jazeera noted, the resolution also lifts the asset freeze and arms embargo that had hampered Syria’s international engagement.
The shift in policy is not just limited to the UN. In May 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a major policy change, lifting most US sanctions on Syria. This followed a high-profile meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, the most stringent US sanctions—those imposed under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019—remain in place and will require Congressional action to be fully repealed. Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen, the top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a bipartisan statement welcoming the UN decision and urging Congress to “bring the Syrian economy into the 21st century.” They emphasized, “It’s time to prioritize reconstruction, stability, and a path forward rather than isolation that only deepens hardship for Syrians.”
Regional powers have also played a key role in Syria’s tentative reintegration. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and Qatar have offered to fund public salaries and energy infrastructure, supporting Syria’s obligations to international financial institutions. These countries see renewed engagement as a pathway to regional stability and economic recovery, which has been desperately needed after more than a decade of war. The United States, United Kingdom, and European Union had already lifted punitive measures covering some $15 billion in restricted assets and trade in May 2025, according to the United Nations.
Not everyone is entirely on board with the rapid normalization. China’s representative, Ambassador Fu Cong, explained his country’s abstention by criticizing the United States for not fully heeding the views of all Security Council members. “The United States did not fully heed the views of all members and forced the Council to take action even when there were huge differences among Council members in an attempt to serve its own political agenda,” Fu Cong declared, as reported by Deutsche Welle. China has long expressed concern over the presence of Uyghur fighters in Syria, adding another layer of complexity to the region’s security landscape.
France’s Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont struck a more cautious tone, warning that “the fight against Da’esh (ISIL) in the Middle East is not over and the risks of a resurgence must not be underestimated.” Still, he called the adoption of the resolution “an important step on the path towards the reconstruction of a sovereign united and reconciled Syria, one living in peace and free of the terrorist scourge.” Russia’s Vassily Nebenzia echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the need to facilitate Syria’s economic recovery and development during the transition period.
From Syria’s perspective, the lifting of sanctions is more than a diplomatic victory—it’s a validation of the country’s new direction. “We consider [this resolution] a sign of a growing confidence in the new Syria, its people and its leadership,” said Syrian Ambassador Ibrahim Abdulmalik Olabi, describing the move as a “badge of honour.” Syria’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani, expressed gratitude on social media, thanking the US and “friendly countries” for their support. Al-Sharaa himself addressed the UN General Assembly in New York in September 2025—the first Syrian leader to do so in almost 60 years—declaring that Syria was “reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world” and expressing solidarity with the people of Gaza.
Looking ahead, all eyes are on al-Sharaa’s upcoming visit to Washington. The meeting with President Trump is expected to focus on deepening diplomatic ties, reconstruction, and the gradual normalization of Syria’s relations with the West. While Israel and Syria remain formally at war, with Israel still occupying the Golan Heights, Trump has expressed hope that the two countries might one day normalize relations.
For now, Syria stands at a crossroads. The Security Council’s decision has opened the door to economic recovery, international engagement, and perhaps a new era of stability. Whether these hopes materialize will depend on the actions of Syria’s new leadership and the willingness of the international community to support a country seeking to turn the page on more than a decade of suffering.
