In a significant diplomatic shift, the United Nations Security Council voted on Thursday to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, just days before his scheduled landmark meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The resolution, which was drafted by the United States, passed with 14 of the 15 council members voting in favor. China abstained from the vote. The move also removes sanctions on Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

The decision paves the way for President al-Sharaa's visit to Washington on Monday, which will mark the first time a Syrian leader has visited the White House since the country's independence in 1946. Both al-Sharaa and Khattab had been on the UN's international sanctions list due to their former links to the al-Qaeda terrorist organization.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz hailed the vote, stating it sent "a strong political signal that recognizes Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled." He was referring to the ouster of long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 after a lightning-fast offensive by forces led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) captured the capital, Damascus, ending 13 years of civil war.

HTS, formerly known as the Nusra Front, has been on the UN's sanctions list since 2014. The group served as al-Qaeda's official wing in Syria until it broke ties in 2016.

The United States first announced this major policy change towards Syria in May and has since been lobbying the Security Council to ease the sanctions, culminating in Thursday's historic vote.