Washington: The United States has removed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa from its Specially Designated Global Terrorist list ahead of his scheduled meeting with President Donald Trump next week. The decision marks a major shift in US policy toward Damascus after years of strained relations.
The US Treasury Department confirmed on Friday that al-Sharaa, once linked to al-Qaeda, had been formally delisted. The United Nations Security Council also removed his name from its symbolic sanctions list a day earlier. Both moves aim to support Syria’s reintegration into the international community following the fall of former leader Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Anas Hasan Khattab, Syria’s current interior minister and another former fighter, was also removed from the sanctions list. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the UNSC vote “sends a strong political signal” recognizing Syria’s new era under al-Sharaa’s government.
President Trump is expected to host al-Sharaa at the White House on November 10. This will be the first official visit by a Syrian president to Washington. The two leaders last met in May at a summit in Saudi Arabia, where the US announced a partial rollback of sanctions that had hindered Syria’s post-war economic recovery.
The US Congress is now considering lifting additional restrictions. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee said it was time to help Syria “bring its economy into the 21st century” after years of isolation and conflict.
