The UN Security Council has approved the lifting of international sanctions against "Hayat Tahrir al-Sham" (HTS), which effectively established control in Syria after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in late 2024 - early 2025. The official statement emphasizes that this decision is aimed at supporting long-term recovery, stabilization, and economic growth in the country following the crisis.
According to information from the UN, the new leader of HTS, Ahmad al-Shara, who took office as transitional president, has confirmed his legitimacy on the international stage by announcing the start of institutional reforms and an active fight against terrorism. As a result of the measures taken, the freezing of assets, the travel ban for individuals associated with the organization, as well as the arms embargo and military cooperation restrictions are lifted. Previously, these restrictions were mandatory for all UN member states.
It is important to note that the lifting of sanctions specifically pertains to the HTS organization as a legal entity. At the same time, the UN clarified that individual persons may still be subject to personal sanctions. This decision by the Security Council was the result of the lifting of restrictions on Ahmad al-Shara in the fall of 2025, as well as steps taken by the United States and the European Union, which recognized the new Syrian government following changes in Damascus.
