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Security Council representatives gave the green light to an American proposal removing restrictions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa prior to his Washington trip the following week.

He was appointed provisional head of state after leading an insurgent campaign that removed the previous leader in winter 2024, bringing to a close over a decade of civil war.

America's diplomat to the UN Mike Waltz declared the global body transmitted "an emphatic political statement" that acknowledged Syria entered "a different period" after Assad's removal.

Sharaa was under UN sanctions while commanding the Muslim faction HTS, once connected to the terrorist network. Washington eliminated the organization from the catalog of foreign terror groups this past July.

Further Restrictions Lifted

The UN also removed penalties against the Syrian interior official Minister Anas Khattab.

Syria's foreign minister applauded the lifting of these restrictions, stating online: "Syrian officials convey thanks toward America and to friendly nations for assisting the country and its population."

Upcoming White House Meeting

The Syrian leader's Washington trip this coming Monday follows US President Donald Trump remarked that Sharaa had made "good progress" in establishing peace to the previously divided state.

The pair met for the first time this past May, when Trump visited Riyadh on a tour of the Middle East.

Following that encounter, America's leader characterized him as a "resilient figure" having a "formative history".

His Islamist group HTS was al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria prior to breaking relations during 2016.

Earlier American Trip

This week's diplomatic engagement will not be his initial visit to America in the current year. This past fall, he became the pioneering Middle Eastern head of state to present to the United Nations gathering in New York after approximately sixty years.

In his speech, he stated the country had been "restoring its proper position within the global community" and demonstrated unity with Palestinian citizens in Gaza.

• Syrian leader speaks before global body for first time after nearly six decades
• The presidential discussion with Sharaa, previously unimaginable, elevates national expectations