UNSC lifts sanctions off Syrian interim leader, FM, despite massacres

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen English
Today 00:08

The UN Security Council has lifted sanctions on Syrian transitional President Ahmed al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, with 14 members voting in favor and China abstaining.

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Syria interim President Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2025, at UN headquarters (AP)

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution lifting international sanctions on Syrian transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab, according to a RIA Novosti correspondent reporting from the UN headquarters.

The move signals a notable shift in the international approach toward Syria’s transitional authorities.

The resolution passed with 14 votes in favor, with the Russian Federation backing the decision. China abstained from the vote but did not oppose the resolution.

This comes despite ongoing atrocities being carried out in Syria, including mass killings reportedly carried out by armed members affiliated with the Syrian security forces.

According to the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria, approximately 1,400 men, women, and children were killed in March in coordinated massacres across the provinces of Latakia, Tartous, and Hama. Some of the killings were carried out by members of the interim government’s security forces. Similar massacres and human rights abuses were seen in Sweida.

US exempts interim Syrian leadership despite atrocities

On August 25, the US Department of the Treasury announced that Syria had been officially removed from the US sanctions list. Moreover, the reward for al-Sharaa's arrest had been scrapped by the United States.

The US had offered a $10 million reward for information that would lead to the arrest of al-Sharaa.

The decisions came into effect following an executive order signed by Trump, reflecting a broader shift in US policy toward Syria under his administration.