United Nations Security Council members gave the green light to a United States-backed measure removing restrictions on President Ahmed al-Sharaa of Syria before his Washington trip next week.
He became provisional head of state subsequent to commanding a revolutionary movement that removed Bashar al-Assad in winter 2024, ending 13 years of domestic strife.
The US representative Mike Waltz at the United Nations said the UN had sent "a powerful diplomatic message" that recognised Syria was in "a new era" since Assad was deposed.
Sharaa was under UN sanctions in his role as head of the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was formerly linked to the terrorist network. The US removed HTS from a list of foreign terror groups during July.
The UN also removed penalties against the Syrian interior official Minister Anas Khattab.
Syria's foreign minister applauded the lifting of the sanctions, declaring through digital channels: "Syria expresses its appreciation toward America and allied countries for their support of Syria and its people."
The Syrian leader's Washington trip at the start of the week comes after US President Donald Trump stated the Middle Eastern president had made "good progress" towards bringing peace to the conflict-ravaged nation.
The pair met initially this past May, when Trump visited Riyadh on a tour of the Middle East.
Subsequent to that discussion, the US president described the Syrian as a "strong individual" with a "very strong past".
His Islamist group HTS was al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria prior to breaking relations during 2016.
Monday's visit will not be Sharaa's first trip to the United States this year. During September, he emerged as the initial Syrian president to speak before the UN General Assembly in New York after approximately sixty years.
During his address, he said Syria was "reclaiming its rightful place within the global community" and demonstrated unity with Palestinian citizens in Gaza.
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