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The UN Security Council gave the green light to a US resolution ending penalties on Syria's leader Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his White House visit next week.

Sharaa was named transitional president subsequent to commanding an insurgent campaign that drove out Bashar al-Assad in the final month of 2024, bringing to a close 13 years of domestic strife.

Washington's ambassador Mike Waltz at the United Nations declared the global body transmitted "a powerful diplomatic message" that acknowledged Syria entered "a fresh chapter" after Assad's removal.

He had been subject to UN sanctions while commanding the Muslim faction Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly linked to the terrorist network. America delisted the group from its registry of foreign terror groups this past July.

Further Restrictions Lifted

Furthermore, global sanctions were ended on restrictions targeting Syria's Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

Syria's foreign minister applauded the lifting of these restrictions, declaring through digital channels: "The nation shows its gratitude to Washington and supportive states for backing of Syria and its people."

Imminent Washington Talks

Sharaa's White House visit on Monday occurs subsequent to US President Donald Trump remarked that Sharaa achieved "significant advancement" towards bringing peace to the war-torn country.

Both presidents held discussions for the first time in May, while the American president was in Saudi Arabia on a tour of the region.

Following that encounter, the US president described the Syrian as a "strong individual" with a "very strong past".

His Islamist group HTS served as al-Qaeda's branch inside the country prior to breaking relations back in 2016.

Prior United States Journey

Monday's visit is not Sharaa's first trip to the United States during this period. This past fall, he made history as the first Syrian leader to address the global assembly in Manhattan after approximately sixty years.

In his speech, he said Syria was "reclaiming its rightful place within the global community" and expressed solidarity toward Gaza's residents.

• The Middle Eastern president presents to international community for first time in almost 60 years
• Trump's meeting with President Sharaa, once considered impossible, enhances Syrian aspirations