UN Lifts Sanctions on Syrian President al-Sharaa in 14-0 Vote

The United Nations Security Council voted decisively on Thursday, November 6, 2025, to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, marking a pivotal step in Syria’s reintegration with the international community. The U.S.-drafted resolution passed with 14 votes in favor and one abstention (China), removing al-Sharaa and his Interior Minister, Anas Hasan Khattab, from the UN’s al-Qaida and ISIS sanctions list.
The vote formally scraps a travel ban, asset freeze, and arms embargo that had been in place against al-Sharaa. This move is a crucial piece of a rapid diplomatic realignment being engineered by the United States, which has been pushing the council for months to ease measures against Damascus.
The timing of the vote is critical, coming just days before al-Sharaa is scheduled to make a historic, first-ever visit to the White House for a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, November 10.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, celebrated the vote, stating, “With the adoption of this text, the council is sending a strong political signal that recognizes Syria is in a new era.” The U.S. has argued that lifting the sanctions is necessary to support Syria’s political transition and reconstruction efforts following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
This UN action follows the Trump administration’s own major policy shift in May 2025, when it lifted most U.S. sanctions on Syria. The U.S. has since embraced al-Sharaa, the former rebel leader, as a pragmatic partner for regional stability. During the upcoming White House visit, Syria is expected to formally join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.
While Russia voted in favor of the resolution, emphasizing its support for Syrian sovereignty, China abstained. The Chinese envoy, Fu Cong, argued that the U.S.-led resolution “did not fully heed the views of all members” and failed to adequately address “legitimate concerns” about counterterrorism and the lingering threat of foreign fighters in Syria, accusing the U.S. of pushing its own “political agenda.”
The lifting of these sanctions is largely symbolic of the new diplomatic reality, as a UN committee had already been granting al-Sharaa regular travel exemptions for his diplomatic visits, including his address to the UN General Assembly in September.