United States President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, November 10 — marking the first-ever visit of a Syrian leader to the U.S. seat of power.
Al-Sharaa, once one of the world’s most wanted terrorists and a former al-Qaeda leader, had a $10 million bounty on his head until December 2024, when Washington quietly removed his name from its wanted list.
According to the Syrian presidency, both leaders held discussions “focusing on bilateral relations between Syria and the United States, ways to strengthen and develop them, and a number of regional and international issues of common interest.”
Trump spoke warmly of al-Sharaa after the meeting, saying, “He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I like him.”
He added, “We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East. We have peace now in the Middle East – the first time that anyone can remember that ever happening.”
Acknowledging al-Sharaa’s controversial past, Trump remarked, “We’ve all had rough pasts.”
In an interview with Fox News, al-Sharaa said his former association with al-Qaeda was “a matter of the past” and was not part of his discussion with Trump. He described Syria’s current position as that of “a geopolitical ally of Washington, not a threat.”
The White House meeting comes six months after both leaders first met in Saudi Arabia, when Trump announced plans to ease sanctions on Syria.
It also follows the U.S. government’s recent decision to remove al-Sharaa from its list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”
Al-Sharaa, 43, was captured by U.S. forces during the Iraq occupation and later led al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch before it broke away in 2016.
Less than a year ago, the U.S. had still offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his capture.
After toppling Bashar al-Assad’s regime last December, al-Sharaa rebranded himself, adopting his birth name and calling for a “tolerant and inclusive Syria.”
Earlier this year, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly, declaring that Syria is “reclaiming its rightful place among the nations of the world” and seeking closer ties with the U.S. and European Union.
Meanwhile, the US Department of the Treasury announced suspending sanctions against Damascus for a further six months.
The new sanctions relief announced by Washington on Monday suspends punitive measures under the Caesar Act, which prohibited US business dealings with the Syrian government and military, for an additional 180 days.
“Removing US sanctions will support Syria’s efforts to rebuild its economy, provide prosperity for all its citizens, including its ethnic and religious minorities, and combat terrorism,” the US Treasury Department said in a statement.
It added that Trump is “delivering on his commitment to give Syria ‘a chance at greatness’ and to let them rebuild and thrive by lifting US sanctions and ensuring accountability for harmful actors”.
While the Caesar Act sanctions are currently waived by Trump, a permanent repeal would require Congress to act
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