US President Donald Trump welcomed Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, marking a historic occasion as this is the first visit by a Syrian head of state since Syria’s independence in 1946. The visit is anticipated to lead to Damascus formally joining the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remarked that this meeting is part of the president’s diplomatic efforts to engage with leaders globally in the pursuit of peace. This encounter follows their previous meeting in May in Saudi Arabia, which was the first official contact between the US and Syria since Bill Clinton’s meeting with Hafez al-Assad in 2000.
Diplomatic progress and strategic discussions
Following their initial meeting in Riyadh, Trump praised al-Sharaa, describing him as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter.” The president has noted that al-Sharaa is “doing a very good job so far” and emphasized that “a lot of progress has been made with Syria” since the easing of certain sanctions.
The discussions are expected to facilitate Damascus’s official entry into the US-led coalition against the militant group IS, which would enable closer collaboration with US armed forces.
Calls for sanction relief
In a significant move, the UN Security Council recently voted to lift sanctions on al-Sharaa and several government officials. US UN ambassador Mike Waltz indicated that the vote reflects a new era for Damascus following the ousting of dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Al-Sharaa is advocating for a complete repeal of sanctions that were imposed on Syria due to human rights violations under al-Assad’s regime. Although Trump has waived some sanctions under the Caesar Act, it will require Congressional action to remove them permanently.
Proponents of the repeal argue that lifting sanctions without conditions would encourage investment in Syria, which has been hampered by fears of potential sanctions. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, stated, “Repealing sanctions with conditions is like a hanging shadow that paralyzes any initiatives for our country.”
Since leading the rebel forces that overthrew al-Assad in December and assuming leadership in January, al-Sharaa has been working diligently to cultivate relationships with nations that had previously distanced themselves from al-Assad’s government following the brutal crackdown on protesters that led to a protracted civil war.