UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to lift a series of sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and members of his government days before he is set to arrive in the U.S. for a historic visit to the White House.

The U.S. resolution to drop U.N. sanctions tied to al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister, Anas Hasan Khattab, stemming from their ties to the al-Qaida militant group, was adopted with 14 members in support. China abstained from the vote.

“With the adoption of this text, the council is sending a strong political signal that recognizes Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled in December 2024,” Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in his statement after the vote, referring to longtime autocratic leader Bashar Assad.

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