In a historic diplomatic shift, Syria has joined the U.S.-led international coalition to combat the Islamic State (ISIS), marking a significant change in American foreign policy toward Damascus. The move was confirmed after President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, the first-ever official visit by a Syrian leader to Washington.
The decision makes Syria the 90th member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, a network of nations formed to eliminate the remnants of the extremist group and halt the movement of foreign fighters in the Middle East. “We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful,” President Trump told reporters after the meeting. “And I think this leader can do it, I really do.”
The White House meeting represents a dramatic reversal in U.S. policy. Until recently, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who rose to power as Syria’s interim president earlier this year, was listed as a “specially designated global terrorist” by the U.S. Treasury Department for his past leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an Islamist faction formerly linked to al-Qaeda.
Just last week, the Treasury removed al-Sharaa’s name from the sanctions list, clearing the way for official engagements.
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Speaking in an interview with Fox News’ Special Report, al-Sharaa described his visit as part of a “new era” of cooperation with the United States. “We did not discuss the past,” he said. “Our conversation was about the present and the future, a Syria that is a geopolitical and economic partner of Washington.”
Following the talks, a senior Trump administration official announced plans to suspend key economic restrictions on Syria, including a 180-day freeze of the Caesar Act, which has imposed severe sanctions on the Syrian economy since 2019.
The U.S. Treasury, State, and Commerce Departments are expected to release detailed guidance this week to “provide compliance clarity for investors” and encourage international firms to reengage with Syria’s rebuilding efforts.
The White House also confirmed that Syria will be permitted to reopen its embassy in Washington, restoring diplomatic relations that were severed in 2012 amid the country’s civil war.
Monday’s Oval Office meeting was the third encounter between Trump and al-Sharaa this year, following earlier discussions at the Gulf Cooperation Council summit in May and the UN General Assembly in September.
In June, Trump had already signed an executive order lifting some sanctions on Syria to “support the country’s path to stability and peace.” The White House said the latest move builds on that policy, with an eye toward monitoring Syria’s “steps toward normalizing ties with Israel” and dismantling remaining militant networks.