Washington and London followed the path set on November 6 by the UN Security Council, which agreed to remove sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Interior Minister Anas Khattab for their past links to Al Qaeda. The decision comes three days before the meeting between Donald Trump and al-Sharaa in the White House and opens the door for the European Union to take a similar measure in the coming days.
First modification: 11/07/2025 - 21:33 Last modification: 11/08/2025 - 00:05
The United States and the United Kingdom lifted sanctions against Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on November 7, a day after the United Nations Security Council did the same ahead of its meeting with United States President Donald Trump next week, and the European Union confirmed that it will follow the same path.
Glasgow and London also lifted sanctions on Syria's Interior Minister Anas Khattab, according to notices on their websites.
Both men had been subject to financial sanctions targeting the Islamic State and al Qaeda, and the United States named them as Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
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A European Union spokesman said on Nov. 7 that the U.N. decision would be reflected in its own measures.
Britain lifted some sanctions on Syria in April, while the bloc lifted its economic punishments in May, but restrictions related to weapons and security remain in place.
"We remain committed to supporting a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led transition, to help build a better future for all Syrians," a European Commission spokesperson said.
Washington had been urging the Security Council for months to ease sanctions on Syria. And Trump announced a major policy shift in May when he said he would lift his country's sanctions against Damascus.
Meeting at the White House
The Republican president will meet with Al-Sharaa at the White House on November 10, the first such visit by a Syrian head of state.
Trump has sought good relations with Al Sharaa. In June, he revoked most US sanctions against Syria, after meeting the leader when he visited Saudi Arabia in May.
Since taking power following the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad last December, Al Sharaa has made a series of foreign trips as its transitional government seeks to restore Syria's ties with world powers, which had shunned Damascus during Al-Assad's rule.
Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, became Syria's president in January after insurgent forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group overthrew Al Assad in a lightning offensive.
Al Sharaa, once a senior figure in HTS - previously affiliated with Al Qaeda - was sanctioned by the United States in 2013 and by the UN and Britain in 2014, including a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.
The Security Council lifted those measures on Nov. 6, citing the lack of active links between HTS and Al Qaeda.
The Syrian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Nov. 7, which is not a business day in Syria.
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