US pushes UN vote to revoke Sharaa sanctions before White House visit
The Trump administration's effort to delist the Syrian leader has faced resistance from China.
WASHINGTON — The United States is seeking a United Nations Security Council vote as soon as this week to lift UN sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa before his visit to Washington, diplomatic sources told Al-Monitor.
On Tuesday, the US mission circulated a draft resolution to council members that calls for the delisting of Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab. Both men are named on the United Nations’ counterterrorism sanctions list targeting al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (ISIS), subjecting them to an arms embargo and asset freeze as well as requiring that they obtain special UN approval for international travel.
The draft resolution obtained by Al-Monitor “decides that Ahmed al-Sharaa … and Anas Hasan Khattab are delisted.” It further welcomes the Syrian government’s commitment to “countering terrorism including foreign terrorist fighters.”
The resolution was put under silence until Wednesday morning, a procedural step that leaves room for members to object before a vote is scheduled.
