Trump to host Syrian president in historic White House meeting amid push for regional peace

President Donald Trump is preparing to invited Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa connected Monday successful what officials picture arsenic a historical measurement toward investigating whether Damascus tin beryllium drawn backmost into diplomacy aft years of warfare and isolation.

The high-profile gathering underscores a caller section successful U.S.–Syria relations aft much than a decennary of hostility. A elder medication authoritative told Fox News Digital the sojourn volition absorption connected counterterrorism cooperation, economical development, and advancing determination bid and security. 

During the visit, the authoritative said, "Syria volition denote that it is joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Syria volition frankincense go the 90th subordinate of the D-ISIS Coalition, partnering with the United States to destruct ISIS remnants and halt overseas combatant flows."

The sojourn follows a week of large argumentation shifts. On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council voted 14-0, with China abstaining, to region sanctions connected al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister. Additionally, Reuters reported that al-Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Khattab, had formerly been taxable to fiscal sanctions targeted astatine al Qaeda and ISIS, with the United States designating them Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

SYRIA'S INTERIM PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA EXPECTED TO MEET WITH TRUMP IN FIRST VISIT BY SYRIAN LEADER TO WHITE HOUSE

In this photograph released by the Saudi Royal Palace, interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa shakes hands with President Donald Trump successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia connected May 14. At close is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.  (AP)

The gathering comes astir six weeks aft al-Sharaa — the erstwhile commandant of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, erstwhile affiliated with al Qaeda — addressed the U.N. General Assembly connected Sept. 24, the archetypal by a Syrian caput of authorities successful six decades. There, helium urged the West to assistance sanctions and called for planetary enactment to rebuild the country.

According to the medication official, that is astir to happen: "Treasury, State, and Commerce volition jointly denote measures taken to assistance economical restrictions and supply compliance clarity for investors. The United States volition let Syria to resume operations astatine its Embassy successful Washington to further counterterrorism, security, and economical coordination."

Syrian officials are seeking a reassessment of the Caesar Act sanctions, the main U.S. instrumentality inactive restricting commercialized ties with Damascus. 

The elder medication authoritative told Fox News Digital, "The Administration is issuing a 180-day suspension of the Caesar Act and is urging Congress to permanently repeal the Act to unlock economical growth. The Trump Administration supports the afloat repeal of the Caesar Act. This is successful enactment with the President’s announcement connected cessation of sanctions. Removal is cardinal to allowing U.S. concern and determination states to run successful Syria."

Syrian information forces locomotion unneurotic on a street, aft clashes betwixt Syrian authorities troops and section Druze fighters resumed successful the confederate Druze metropolis of Sweida aboriginal connected Wednesday, collapsing a ceasefire announced conscionable hours earlier that aimed to enactment an extremity to days of deadly sectarian bloodshed, successful Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025.  (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)

EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS

Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who visited Damascus this summer, told Fox News Digital helium views the sojourn arsenic an accidental to extremity years of bloodshed.

"This is the archetypal accidental Syria has to look from decades of brutal oppression and much than a decennary of civilian war," the congressman said. "I went to Damascus to marque definite missing Americans similar Kayla Mueller are not forgotten, to advocator for expanding the Abraham Accords, and to punctual Syria’s caller leaders that they indispensable see minorities similar the Druze, Christians, and Kurds and support their rights."

On Friday, astir 100 influential Christian leaders sent a missive to President Trump calling connected him to rise the contented of number rights and extortion with the Syrian leader. The missive was led by Dede Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians, and included Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins, Samuel Rodriguez, Rob McCoy and Alveda King.

Syrian citizens and information forces inspect the harm wrong Mar Elias religion wherever a termination bomber detonated himself successful Dweil'a connected the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Omar Sanadiki/AP Photo)

In it, they thanked Trump for his efforts successful protecting Christians and besides asked him to bring up the contented with al-Sharaa. "We impulse you to code straight the massacre of Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites successful Syria, notably successful the greater Suwayda area. These spiritual minorities look ongoing violence, death, displacement, starvation, and h2o and aesculapian deprivation—all portion guiltless women and children are held hostage by ISIS terrorists."

"Mr. President, we respectfully petition that you unafraid President al-Sharaa’s committedness to opening a unafraid humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suwayda successful confederate Syria. This corridor volition alteration harmless and unafraid assistance transportation and civilian evacuation, signaling the caller government’s committedness to number rights and stability," the missive stated.

SYRIA’S NEW PRESIDENT TAKES CENTER STAGE AT UNGA AS CONCERNS LINGER OVER TERRORIST PAST

President of Syria Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) astatine the United Nations office connected Sept. 24, 2025, successful New York City.  (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Ahmad Sharawi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital that Washington hopes to usage the gathering to prosecute stableness and incorporate Iran’s influence.

"The U.S. involvement is having a authorities that is consenting to combat ISIS and halt Iran from re-emerging," helium said. "I deliberation the U.S. volition effort to find a solution to the Kurdish contented successful northeast Syria and physique a unified state with nary decentralization oregon federalism."

He cautioned that al-Sharaa’s home grounds shows "a governmental strategy that is not inclusive" and a signifier of powerfulness centralization. Despite those concerns, helium added, galore Syrians spot him arsenic "the lone fig susceptible of holding the state together."

People invited the person of Syria's Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) radical that headed a lightning rebel violative snatching Damascus from authorities control, Ahmed al-Sharaa (C), earlier his code astatine the capital's landmark Umayyad Mosque connected Dec. 8, 2024. Al-Sharaa gave a code arsenic the assemblage chanted "Allahu akbar (God is greatest)," successful a video shared by the rebels connected their Telegram transmission showed. (Aref Tammawi /AFP via Getty Images)

In October, al-Sharaa traveled to Russia to conscionable with President Vladimir Putin — a determination Sharawi said highlights some pragmatism and risk.

"One would deliberation that 11 months ago, erstwhile the Russians were air-striking Idlib and al-Sharaa’s forces, we wouldn’t spot al-Sharaa gathering with Putin successful Moscow," Sharawi said. "But it’s a wide indicator of however al-Sharaa operates — focused connected securing his interests but besides being pragmatic."

He added that the outreach signals to the West that "if you don’t springiness maine what I want, I person different countries I tin thin on," and said it’s an effort to unafraid weapons and governmental backing aft years of warfare and nonaccomplishment of equipment.

SYRIAN PRESIDENT'S HISTORIC UN SPEECH JOINED BY THOUSANDS RALLYING OUTSIDE FOR PEACE AND TRUMP'S SUPPORT

Ahmed al-Sharaa, erstwhile known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is seen successful Syria Feb. 7, 2023. Since becoming the country’s president, helium has gone backmost to his fixed name. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)

"That’s wherefore I asked CENTCOM’s Gen. Michael Kurilla during House Armed Services Committee hearings astir these opportunities and risks — and wrote the NDAA conception connected assessing the feasibility of defence partnerships with the caller Syrian government," Hamadeh said. "We indispensable guarantee that ISIS and Iran ne'er instrumentality and marque definite the Russians and Chinese are kept astatine a distance."

Syrian-American activistic Hicham Alnchawati of the Syria Freedom Path enactment told Fox News Digital that Syrians mostly invited the visit.

"They’re looking for a amended future," helium said. "They suffered the warfare — there’s nary water, nary food, nary economy, and nary security. He knows his involvement is with the U.S. He’s coming present to execute communal interests for some the U.S. and Syria."

Alnchawati argued that lasting stableness volition necessitate eliminating Iran’s and Hezbollah’s influence.

"If you truly privation stableness successful the Middle East, you person to decorativeness the occupation with Hezbollah and the Iranians," helium said. "They person to beryllium wholly dismantled. Otherwise, they’ll reignite the struggle 1 much time."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa astatine the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, connected the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly astatine the United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Bing Guan/Pool Photo via AP)

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The United Nations and U.S. sanctions decisions person sparked statement successful Washington and Europe. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that immoderate lawmakers and rights groups reason that legitimizing a erstwhile jihadist commandant could undercut accountability for past abuses, portion supporters accidental the alleviation offers Damascus an inducement to cooperate connected counterterrorism and cause control.

Sharawi told Fox News Digital the argumentation to bid connected al-Sharaa "gives Damascus a almighty inducement but leaves Washington exposed. The governmental outgo of nonaccomplishment would beryllium enormous."