Syrian President’s historic visit to the White House

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House is being hailed as historic. This marks the first visit by a Syrian leader to the White House in nearly 80 years, since Syria gained independence in 1946. Once listed as a terrorist by the US and other Western nations for alleged ties to al-Qaeda, al-Sharaa also had a $10 million bounty on his head until just a year ago, making the meeting all the more significant. Trump lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa’s government through an executive order, when he had distanced himself from Al-Qaeda, and as part of a broader strategy to isolate Bashar al-Assad, who had ruthlessly crushed popular uprisings. Al-Sharaa had been captured by US forces in Iraq in 2006 and detained for five years. Syria was also among the four nations labeled part of the “axis of evil” by Washington since the George W. Bush era, alongside Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. Yet it was this same nation’s leader whom Trump warmly welcomed to the White House this week.

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There are several reasons behind this epochal shift. Syria was once defined by its role as a frontline Arab nation opposing Israel. Under a Shiite-led regime backed by Iran, it long stood as a thorn in Israel’s side. Today, however, Damascus is governed by a Sunni administration – a dramatic reversal in the country’s political and sectarian identity. Iran and Russia - the two countries that had provided extensive military and diplomatic support to former President Bashar al-Assad during the popular uprising against him - were longstanding adversaries of the United States. In a sense, Assad’s fall became inevitable as Russia was forced to turn its attention to the war in Ukraine and Iran became preoccupied with its confrontation with Israel which made concerted attacks. This transition, unsurprisingly, was met with considerable satisfaction in Washington.

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Al-Sharaa, too, has expectations from this newfound friendship. The new administration, focused on rebuilding a Syria devastated by years of civil war, is not putting as a priority confrontation with Israel, reclaiming the Golan Heights which Israel captured, or halting Israeli aggression. Its primary concern now is ensuring that Syrians have access to food, healthcare, and education — the essentials needed to keep the population alive and stable. Syria is not currently in a position to threaten Israel; rather, Israel has inflicted significant damage on Syrian territory since al-Sharaa took office. Consequently, Syria – which is under the compulsion to rely on wealthy Arab nations on one side and the United States on the other for reconstruction – has become an ideal partner for Washington to use as a buffer against the Palestinian–Lebanese–Iranian alliance at least for now. The U.S., meanwhile, aims to bring Syria in as the 90th member of the global coalition against ISIS.

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This emphasis on survival explains why Syria is now moving in a trajectory that signals both a shift in its stance and a redefinition of its image in the West. The most daunting challenge ahead is rebuilding the country’s institutions, shattered by 13 years of civil war. Reconstruction in regions where much of the infrastructure has been reduced to rubble and mud will require immense resources – an estimated $216 billion, according to the World Bank. For Damascus, the path forward lies in restoring relations with the United States, not in confronting a global power. Before arriving at the White House, the two leaders had already held discussions in Riyadh. Another key priority for Syria is the repeal of the Caesar Act, passed by Congress, which binds the US Administration to continue to impose sanctions despite their temporary suspension through an executive order. Syria hopes these sanctions can be further relaxed or extended for at least another six months.

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Even with these factors in play, challenges and uncertainties lie ahead for President al-Sharaa. It is noteworthy that while Donald Trump expressed optimism about opening the door to economic cooperation, he also hinted that natural gas exploration might be possible in the future. Although Syria does not hold significant reserves of crude oil or natural gas, it is believed that the United States has its eye on the country’s limited resources – and on the lucrative infrastructure contracts that American companies could potentially secure during reconstruction. Another key objective for Trump appears to be improving and possibly forcing Syria to have normal relations with Israel. Many observers have suggested that Trump may be seeking to align Syria with the Abraham Accords too signed between Israel and a few Arab countries including the UAE. While some analysts speculate that al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington could serve as a step towards bringing Syria closer to Israel, Syrian officials have denied any such possibility. In any case, the Arab world is sure to watch closely to see what the newly elected Syrian leadership agrees to – especially in light of Israel’s ongoing actions in Palestine, including the genocide carried out in the name of fighting Hamas.

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