In a significant diplomatic shift, President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, marking Syria’s entry into a U.S.-led international alliance against the Islamic State group. The meeting signifies a thawing in relations with a country previously regarded as a global outcast.

The visit, which began around 11:30 a.m., saw al-Sharaa arriving at the Oval Office for discussions that were not open to the media. Notably, the Syrian leader used the discreet West Executive Avenue entrance, bypassing the typical ceremonial driveway used for foreign dignitaries. Following his two-hour meeting, al-Sharaa exited the White House, acknowledging supporters before departing in his motorcade.

President Trump later expressed his support for Syria’s future on the global stage, stating, “We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful because that’s part of the Middle East.” He voiced confidence in al-Sharaa’s leadership, adding that he intends to continue dialogues with the Syrian president.

Speaking to Fox News, al-Sharaa highlighted discussions on future U.S. investments in Syria, aiming to reframe the country as a geopolitical ally rather than a security threat. He emphasized opportunities in sectors like gas extraction, which could benefit both nations economically.

During al-Sharaa’s visit, Syria officially committed to joining the coalition against the Islamic State, becoming its 90th member. A senior U.S. official, preferring to remain anonymous, noted that Syria would also resume operations at its Washington embassy, facilitating enhanced cooperation on counterterrorism, security, and economic matters.

Syria’s foreign ministry characterized the discussions as “friendly and constructive,” with Trump reaffirming America’s willingness to support Syria’s reconstruction and development efforts. This meeting marks a potential turning point in U.S.-Syria relations, opening new avenues for collaboration and mutual benefit.

The ministry said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio had then met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who arrived in Washington on Monday, and that they agreed to proceed with implementing an agreement reached in March between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces to integrate the SDF into the new Syrian army. Implementation of the deal has repeatedly stalled amid tensions between the two sides. It was unclear what concrete steps were agreed upon in Monday’s meeting.

The statement said the “American side also affirmed its support for reaching a security agreement with Israel,” but it did not say how Syria had responded.

Al-Sharaa’s visit was the first to the White House by a Syrian head of state since the Middle Eastern country gained independence from France in 1946 and comes after the U.S. lifted sanctions imposed on Syria during the decades the country was ruled by the Assad family. Al-Sharaa led the rebel forces that toppled Syrian President Bashar Assad last December and was named the country’s interim leader in January.

Trump and al-Sharaa who once had ties to al-Qaida and had a $10 million U.S. bounty on his head first met in May in Saudi Arabia. At the time, the U.S. president described al-Sharaa as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter.” It was the first official encounter between the U.S. and Syria since 2000, when then-President Bill Clinton met with Hafez Assad, the father of Bashar Assad.

Before al-Sharaa’s arrival in the U.S., the United Nations Security Council voted to lift sanctions on the Syrian president and other government officials in a move that the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, said was a strong sign that Syria is in a new era since the fall of Assad.

Al-Sharaa came to the meeting with his own priorities. He wants a permanent repeal of sanctions that punished Syria for widespread allegations of human rights abuses by Assad’s government and security forces. While the Caesar Act sanctions are currently waived by Trump, a permanent repeal would require Congress to act.

One option is a proposal from Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, that would end the sanctions without any conditions. The other was drafted by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a hawkish Trump ally who wants to set conditions for a sanctions repeal that would be reviewed every six months.

But advocates argue that any repeal with conditions would prevent companies from investing in Syria because they would fear potentially being sanctioned. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, likened it to a “hanging shadow that paralyzes any initiatives for our country.”

The Treasury Department said Monday that the Caesar Act waiver was extended for another 180 days.

___

Associated Press Diplomatic Writer Matt Lee in Washington, and writers Abby Sewell in Beirut and Fatima Hussein and Konstantin Toropin in Washington contributed to this report.