Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa holds historic talks with Trump

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in an unprecedented meeting, just days after Washington removed him from its terrorism blacklist.

Sharaa, whose forces overthrew former Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s independence in 1946. In a notable moment, he stepped out of his motorcade to greet cheering supporters gathered outside the presidential residence.

Once associated with Al-Qaeda, Sharaa led the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was delisted as a terrorist organisation by the United States in July. His own name was taken off the blacklist just last Friday.

According to a White House statement, “The president of Syria arrived at the White House... The meeting between President Trump and President Al-Sharaa has also started.”

Syria’s presidency said on X that both leaders discussed strengthening bilateral relations and exchanged views on “regional and international issues of mutual concern.”

In an unusual move for Trump, both the arrival and the meeting took place behind closed doors with no media presence, AFP reported.

Trump had earlier praised Sharaa, calling him “a tough guy in a tough neighbourhood” and noting that “a lot of progress has been made with Syria.”

Observers described the meeting as a highly symbolic step for Sharaa, marking his transformation “from a militant leader to a global statesman,” according to Michael Hanna, US program director at the International Crisis Group.

The two men had first met in Saudi Arabia in May during Trump’s regional tour, when the then 79-year-old president reportedly referred to Sharaa, 43, as “a young, attractive guy.”

Terror blacklist removal

Earlier this month, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack suggested that President Ahmed Al-Sharaa might sign an agreement on Monday to join the international US-led coalition against Daesh.

According to a Syrian diplomatic source cited by AFP, the United States is also planning to establish a military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian operations and monitor developments along the Syria-Israel border.

Washington has reportedly been pushing for a broader pact aimed at ending the long-standing hostility between Syria and Israel — part of President Donald Trump’s wider effort to reinforce the fragile Gaza ceasefire and promote a larger Middle East peace framework.

For his part, Sharaa is expected to request US financial assistance for Syria’s post-war reconstruction, as the country struggles to recover from 13 years of civil conflict.

Over the weekend, following his arrival in Washington, Sharaa met with International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva to discuss potential aid opportunities.

His visit comes just weeks after he became the first Syrian leader in decades to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York. More recently, the United States led a Security Council vote to lift UN sanctions against him.

Sharaa has also been broadening Syria’s diplomatic ties, including a meeting in October with Russian President Vladimir Putin — their first encounter since the ouster of Assad, Moscow’s former ally.