President Donald Trump is set to host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday, marking what officials are calling a significant milestone in efforts to reintroduce Damascus into the diplomatic fold following years of conflict and isolation.
This notable meeting signals a potential shift in the long-strained U.S.–Syria relationship, which has been fraught for over ten years. According to a senior administration official speaking to Fox News Digital, the discussions will center on counterterrorism collaboration, economic development, and bolstering peace and security in the region.
During the visit, Syria is expected to announce its decision to join the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. By doing so, Syria will become the 90th nation to join the coalition, aligning with the United States in efforts to eradicate remaining ISIS elements and curb the flow of foreign fighters.
This meeting follows a week of significant policy changes. On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council voted 14-0, with China abstaining, to lift sanctions against al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister. Reuters further reported that both al-Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Khattab, were previously under financial sanctions due to links with al Qaeda and ISIS, having been designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists by the United States.
An image released by the Saudi Royal Palace shows interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa shaking hands with President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 14, with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also present. (AP)
The meeting takes place about six weeks after al-Sharaa, formerly the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, an organization once tied to al Qaeda, spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on September 24. This was the first address by a Syrian head of state at the U.N. in 60 years, during which he called for the lifting of sanctions and requested international assistance to help rebuild Syria.
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.”
Syrian security forces walk together along a street after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, collapsing a ceasefire announced just hours earlier that aimed to put an end to days of deadly sectarian bloodshed, in Sweida, Syria, July 16, 2025. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
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.
Syrian citizens and security forces inspect the damage inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Omar Sanadiki/AP Photo)
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.
President of Syria Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 24, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
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.”
People welcome the leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Ahmed al-Sharaa (C), before his address at the capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque on Dec. 8, 2024. Al-Sharaa gave a speech as the crowd chanted “Allahu akbar (God is greatest),” in a video shared by the rebels on their Telegram channel showed. (Aref Tammawi /AFP via Getty Images)
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.
Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is seen in Syria Feb. 7, 2023. Since becoming the country’s president, he has gone back to his given name. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
“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.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Bing Guan/Pool Photo via AP)
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.”
