U.S. Proposes Lifting U.N. Sanctions on Syria’s President Ahead of White House Visit — Reuters

The United States has submitted a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council proposing the removal of sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Orda.kz reports, citing Reuters.

Al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.

According to the draft text reviewed by Reuters, the resolution would also lift sanctions on Syria’s Interior Minister Anas Khattab. It remains unclear when the measure will be put to a vote.

Incidentally, Damascus and Moscow have maintained high-level contacts, including al-Sharaa's recent visit to Moscow.

Washington has been pressing the 15-member Council for months to ease restrictions on Syria.

Following 13 years of civil war, former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was ousted last December in a rapid offensive by forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which has remained on a U.N. Security Council sanctions list since May 2014.

Several HTS members, including Sharaa and Khattab, are currently subject to U.N. sanctions — including a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo.

The Security Council’s sanctions committee has repeatedly granted temporary travel exemptions to Sharaa this year, meaning he is still likely to attend his planned visit to Washington even if the new resolution is not adopted before Monday.

In May, Trump announced a major shift in U.S. policy, declaring that Washington would lift its own sanctions on Syria.

Before this development, the U.S. Department of State and Chamber of Commerce backed the full and permanent repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.

In early October, the U.S. Senate vote to repeal it as part of deliberations on the National Defense Authorization. The bill still needs to be reconciled between the House and Senate versions, and then signed by the president.