Britain removes sanctions on Syria's president ahead of his meeting with Trump

Ahmad al-Sharaa has long faced restrictions over his past ties with HTS and al Qaeda

Britain removed sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Friday, after the United Nations Security Council did the same ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump next week.

Britain said in a notice on the government's website that it was also lifting sanctions on Syria's interior minister Anas Khattab.

Both men had formerly been subject to financial sanctions targeted at Islamic State and al Qaeda.

Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, became Syria's president in January after insurgent forces led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) ousted Bashar al-Assad in a lightning offensive.

Sharaa, once a senior figure in HTS and previously affiliated with al Qaeda, was sanctioned by the UN and Britain in 2014, which included a travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.

The UN Security Council lifted those measures on Thursday, citing a lack of active ties between HTS and al Qaeda. The move came ahead of Sharaa's planned meeting with Trump at the White House on Monday.

The Syrian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment following Britain's announcement on Friday, which is not a working day in Syria.