President Donald Trump is preparing to welcome Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday in what officials describe as a historic step toward testing whether Damascus can be drawn back into diplomacy after years of war and isolation.
The high-profile meeting underscores a new chapter in U.S.–Syria relations after more than a decade of hostility. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital the visit will focus on counterterrorism cooperation, economic development, and advancing regional peace and security.
During the visit, the official said, "Syria will announce that it is joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Syria will thus become the 90th member of the D-ISIS Coalition, partnering with the United States to eliminate ISIS remnants and halt foreign fighter flows."
The visit follows a week of major policy shifts. On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council voted 14-0, with China abstaining, to remove sanctions on al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister. Additionally, Reuters reported that al-Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Khattab, had formerly been subject to financial sanctions targeted at 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
The meeting comes about six weeks after al-Sharaa — the former commander of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, once affiliated with al Qaeda — addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, the first by a Syrian head of state in six decades. There, he urged the West to lift sanctions and called for international support to rebuild the country.
According to the administration official, that is about to happen: "Treasury, State, and Commerce will jointly announce measures taken to lift economic restrictions and provide compliance clarity for investors. The United States will allow Syria to resume operations at its Embassy in Washington to further counterterrorism, security, and economic coordination."
Syrian officials are seeking a reassessment of the Caesar Act sanctions, the main U.S. law still restricting commercial ties with Damascus.
The senior administration official 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 economic growth. The Trump Administration supports the full repeal of the Caesar Act. This is in line with the President’s announcement on cessation of sanctions. Removal is key to allowing U.S. business and regional states to operate in Syria."
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 he views the visit as an opportunity to end years of bloodshed.
"This is the first chance Syria has to emerge from decades of brutal oppression and more than a decade of civil war," the congressman said. "I went to Damascus to make sure missing Americans like Kayla Mueller are not forgotten, to advocate for expanding the Abraham Accords, and to remind Syria’s new leaders that they must include minorities like the Druze, Christians, and Kurds and protect their rights."
On Friday, about 100 influential Christian leaders sent a letter to President Trump calling on him to raise the issue of minority rights and protection with the Syrian leader. The letter was led by Dede Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians, and included Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins, Samuel Rodriguez, Rob McCoy and Alveda King.
In it, they thanked Trump for his efforts in protecting Christians and also asked him to bring up the issue with al-Sharaa. "We urge you to address directly the massacre of Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites in Syria, notably in the greater Suwayda area. These religious minorities face ongoing violence, death, displacement, starvation, and water and medical deprivation—all while innocent women and children are held hostage by ISIS terrorists."
"Mr. President, we respectfully request that you secure President al-Sharaa’s commitment to opening a secure humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suwayda in southern Syria. This corridor will enable safe and secure aid delivery and civilian evacuation, signaling the new government’s commitment to minority rights and stability," the letter stated.
SYRIA’S NEW PRESIDENT TAKES CENTER STAGE AT UNGA AS CONCERNS LINGER OVER TERRORIST PAST
Ahmad Sharawi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital that Washington hopes to use the meeting to pursue stability and contain Iran’s influence.
"The U.S. interest is having a government that is willing to fight ISIS and stop Iran from re-emerging," he said. "I think the U.S. will try to find a solution to the Kurdish issue in northeast Syria and build a unified country with no decentralization or federalism."
He cautioned that al-Sharaa’s domestic record shows "a political system that is not inclusive" and a pattern of power centralization. Despite those concerns, he added, many Syrians see him as "the only figure capable of holding the country together."
In October, al-Sharaa traveled to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin — a move Sharawi said highlights both pragmatism and risk.
"One would think that 11 months ago, when the Russians were air-striking Idlib and al-Sharaa’s forces, we wouldn’t see al-Sharaa meeting with Putin in Moscow," Sharawi said. "But it’s a clear indicator of how al-Sharaa operates — focused on securing his interests but also being pragmatic."
He added that the outreach signals to the West that "if you don’t give me what I want, I have other countries I can lean on," and said it’s an effort to secure weapons and political backing after years of war and loss of equipment.
SYRIAN PRESIDENT'S HISTORIC UN SPEECH JOINED BY THOUSANDS RALLYING OUTSIDE FOR PEACE AND TRUMP'S SUPPORT
"That’s why I asked CENTCOM’s Gen. Michael Kurilla during House Armed Services Committee hearings about these opportunities and risks — and wrote the NDAA section on assessing the feasibility of defense partnerships with the new Syrian government," Hamadeh said. "We must ensure that ISIS and Iran never return and make sure the Russians and Chinese are kept at a distance."
Syrian-American activist Hicham Alnchawati of the Syria Freedom Path organization told Fox News Digital that Syrians largely welcome the visit.
"They’re looking for a better future," he said. "They suffered the war — there’s no water, no food, no economy, and no security. He knows his interest is with the U.S. He’s coming here to achieve mutual interests for both the U.S. and Syria."
Alnchawati argued that lasting stability will require eliminating Iran’s and Hezbollah’s influence.
"If you really want stability in the Middle East, you have to finish the job with Hezbollah and the Iranians," he said. "They have to be totally dismantled. Otherwise, they’ll reignite the conflict one more time."
The United Nations and U.S. sanctions decisions have sparked debate in Washington and Europe. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that some lawmakers and rights groups argue that legitimizing a former jihadist commander could undercut accountability for past abuses, while supporters say the relief offers Damascus an incentive to cooperate on counterterrorism and drug control.
Sharawi told Fox News Digital the policy to bid on al-Sharaa "gives Damascus a powerful incentive but leaves Washington exposed. The political cost of failure would be enormous."
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