Overview
- Adopting Resolution 2799 (2025), the Council voted 14 in favor with China abstaining to remove President Ahmed al‑Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the ISIL/Al‑Qaida sanctions list.
- The delisting lifts UN travel bans, asset freezes, and an arms embargo on the two officials, a step many described as largely symbolic because travel waivers had already been routinely granted.
- U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz said the measure sends a “strong political signal” recognizing a “new era” in post‑Assad Syria, with al‑Sharaa scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on November 10.
- China explained its abstention by citing unresolved counterterrorism concerns, including the presence of foreign terrorist fighters such as Uyghur militants linked to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.
- Major U.S. restrictions under the Caesar Act remain in force and would require congressional repeal, even as discussions progress on Syria joining the U.S.-led anti‑ISIS coalition and reconstruction support.