Trump hosts Syria’s al-Sharaa at the White House for the first time, Washington extends sanctions relief
U.S. President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Nov. 10, marking the first visit to Washington by a Syrian head of state since 1946.
Shortly after the meeting, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a renewed 180-day suspension of certain Caesar Act sanctions targeting Syria’s energy sector. It is unclear whether or not permanent sanction relief will be considered in the future.
Trump cast the move as support for al-Sharaa, a former rebel commander who was once labeled a terrorist by the U.S. and had a $10 million bounty on him.
“It was an Honor to spend time with Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the new President of Syria, where we discussed all the intricacies of PEACE in the Middle East, of which he is a major advocate,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Having a stable and successful Syria is very important to all countries in the Region.”
According to a senior administration official, Syria agreed to join a global coalition against ISIS and will be allowed to reopen an embassy office in Washington focusing on counterterrorism and security cooperation.
Al-Sharaa’s rebel coalition ousted Bashar al-Assad in December, and he has tried to reinvent himself internationally while rebuilding Syria after years of war.
Assad, a longtime Kremlin ally, fled to Russia in 2024 and has remained there ever since. Meanwhile, Ukraine and Syria restored relations in September during the U.N. General Assembly after al-Sharaa met President Volodymyr Zelensky.
