Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in the United States on Saturday for a historic official visit, following his removal from the US terrorism blacklist a day earlier. The visit marks the first by a Syrian president to the US since Syria gained independence in 1946. Sharaa is scheduled to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday.
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Sharaa, whose rebel forces ousted longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad last year, has previously met Trump during the US president’s regional tour in Riyadh in May. The US hopes to sign an agreement with Sharaa to join the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group. Plans are also underway to establish a US military base near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and monitor developments between Syria and Israel.
The US State Department said Sharaa’s delisting reflects Syria’s progress in meeting US demands, including locating missing Americans and eliminating remaining chemical weapons. Officials said the move would help promote regional stability and an inclusive, Syrian-led political process. Meanwhile, Syria’s interior ministry announced 61 raids and 71 arrests targeting IS sleeper cells across multiple provinces.
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Sharaa’s Washington visit follows a landmark appearance at the United Nations in September, when he addressed the UN General Assembly as the first Syrian president in decades to do so. Analysts describe the visit as a symbolic moment in Sharaa’s transformation from former militant leader to internationally recognized statesman.
Syria faces enormous challenges ahead, with the World Bank estimating reconstruction costs after 13 years of civil war at $216 billion. Sharaa is expected to seek international funding and support to rebuild the war-torn country.
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