Syria’s President Al-Sharaa Holds Historic White House Talks With President Trump
“The President of Syria arrived at the White House this morning, and talks with President Trump are underway,” the White House confirmed in a statement.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, marking a historic and unprecedented diplomatic engagement just days after Washington formally removed Sharaa from its terrorism sanctions list.
Sharaa, whose forces toppled longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad late last year, is the first Syrian head of state to visit the White House since the country gained independence in 1946. His political movement, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), had previously been designated a terrorist organization by the United States due to its past affiliations. The group was delisted in July, and Sharaa was removed from the U.S. blacklist on Friday, signaling a significant shift in Washington’s approach to Syria.
“The President of Syria arrived at the White House this morning, and talks with President Trump are underway,” the White House confirmed in a statement. In a notable departure from usual protocol, the meeting and arrival were held privately, with no press access.
President Trump has publicly praised Sharaa in recent days, describing him as a “tough leader” navigating an exceptionally complex regional landscape. “He’s doing a very good job. It’s a tough neighborhood. And he’s a tough guy. But we got along very well, and a lot of progress has been made with Syria,” Trump said last week.
Since assuming power, Syria’s new leadership has sought to distance itself from its militant origins and project a more moderate national image. Analysts suggest that Monday's meeting underscores this transformation.
“This is a hugely symbolic moment for Syria’s new president,” said Michael Hanna, U.S. Program Director at the International Crisis Group. “It marks another step in his remarkable transition from insurgent commander to international statesman.”
The two leaders previously met in May during President Trump’s regional tour in Saudi Arabia, an encounter during which Trump described the 43-year-old Sharaa as “a young, attractive guy,” highlighting the generational and stylistic contrast with past Syrian leadership.
The White House has not yet disclosed details of the agenda or outcomes of Monday’s meeting, but officials from both governments indicated that discussions were expected to focus on stabilization efforts in Syria, regional security cooperation, and the future of U.S.–Syria relations.
