Syrian President Sharaa Calls for U.S. to Lift Sanctions at Historic UN General Assembly Visit
- Olga Nesterova
- 6 minutes ago
- 2 min read
New York, September 22, 2025 — Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday renewed his call for the United States to lift sanctions imposed under the 2019 Caesar Act, marking the first appearance of a Syrian head of state at the United Nations General Assembly in nearly six decades.
Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda leader who commanded rebel forces that toppled Bashar al-Assad’s government last year, argued that the punitive measures were harming ordinary Syrians rather than the ousted regime. U.S. President Donald Trump had already ordered most sanctions lifted following a meeting with Sharaa in Riyadh in May, but the legal framework authorizing them remains in place.
“We have a big mission to build the economy,” Sharaa said during a public interview with retired U.S. General David Petraeus, who led American forces in Iraq, speaking at the Concordia Summit in New York City. “Syria has a diverse workforce. They love to work, it’s in its genes. So don’t be worried, just lift the sanctions and you will see the results.”
Talks with Israel and Security Concerns
According to reporting by Reuters, Washington has been pressing Syria to finalize a security arrangement with Israel during this week’s New York meetings. Damascus hopes such a deal will secure an end to Israeli airstrikes and a withdrawal of Israeli troops stationed in southern Syria.
Sharaa said negotiations were progressing and expressed optimism that the outcome would balance the sovereignty of Syria with Israel’s security needs. “We are in an advanced stage, and I believe this can preserve Syria’s sovereignty and address Israeli concerns,” he noted.
Fragile Peace and Internal Divisions
Despite the regime change, Syria remains deeply fractured after 13 years of conflict. Sharaa acknowledged that reconciliation with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, who control the country’s northeast, had been delayed. He warned that Kurdish demands for decentralization could spiral into wider instability.
“Calls for decentralization risk becoming steps toward separation,” Sharaa said. “That would ignite a wider war, and Syria cannot afford another conflict.”
A Historic Return to the World Stage
Sharaa is the first Syrian president to participate in the UN General Assembly since 1967. His upcoming address at the opening of the Assembly’s 80th session on Tuesday is expected to outline Damascus’ plans for reconstruction, reintegration into the international system, and a path forward for regional stability.
The Syrian leader framed his message in New York as both pragmatic and urgent: international sanctions must be lifted, regional hostilities defused, and Syria’s fractured society rebuilt.
