In a dramatic turn of Middle Eastern politics, Syrian President Ahmed al‑Sharaa has arrived in the United States for his first official visit to the White House. Scheduled to meet President Donald Trump on Monday, the summit is expected to focus on Syria’s formal entry into the US‑led coalition against ISIS and plans for rebuilding the war‑torn nation.
Al‑Sharaa’s presence in Washington is striking given his past. Known previously as Abu Muhammad al‑Julani, he once led the extremist group Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham and was affiliated with al‑Qaeda. The United States had placed a $10 million bounty on him before his rise to power in Syria. His government replaced that of Bashar al‑Assad, who was ousted in December 2024 after decades of Assad family rule.
Ahead of al‑Sharaa’s arrival, the Syrian Interior Ministry announced a series of raids against Islamic State positions across multiple provinces. Officials reported 61 raids, resulting in over 70 arrests and the seizure of weapons and explosives. The timing of these operations underscores Damascus’s effort to demonstrate its commitment to counterterrorism.
This meeting follows earlier contacts between the two leaders. In May 2025, Trump and al‑Sharaa met in Riyadh, where Trump urged Syria to normalize relations with Israel and pledged to lift US sanctions. Since then, Washington has removed Hayat Tahrir al‑Sham from its list of terrorist organizations, and the UN Security Council voted to lift sanctions on al‑Sharaa. The European Union and United Kingdom have signaled they will follow suit, also removing restrictions on al‑Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab, formerly linked to the Nusra Front.
The White House summit marks the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington since Syria’s independence. Analysts say the talks could reshape Syria’s international standing, as its new leadership seeks to distance itself from its extremist past and re‑enter the global community.