Donald Trump: US President Trump’s visit to West Asia is going in an unexpected direction. He met with Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Shara. Trump praised Shara, who was once labeled a terrorist, as a charming person. This is the first time in 25 years that the US and Syrian presidents have met. There were celebrations in Syria after Trump’s announcement of lifting sanctions on Syria. This development is worrying for Israel.
A key development has taken place in international politics. In contrast to the US policy of treating Syria as a slave, President Donald Trump has acted differently. Donald Trump, who is on a tour of West Asia, met with the interim president of Syria, Ahmed al-Shara, a man whom the US once labeled a terrorist. Moreover, he praised him as a very attractive person. The meeting took place in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. This is the first time that the US and Syrian presidents have met in 25 years.
The two met on the sidelines of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit. Analysts believe that this is a sign that Assad al-Bashar is ending 50 years of family rule and that Syria is taking a new path. The US is criticizing the Qatari rulers for gifting Trump a luxury plane as a gift during this visit.
Speaking in Riyadh as part of his three-day tour of West Asia, Trump announced that he would lift sanctions imposed on Syria under the rule of Bashar al-Assad. The fall of the Assad regime in January of this year has sparked enthusiasm among the Syrian people. The Associated Press reported that this will provide a new opportunity for the revival of Syria, which has long disappeared from the global economy.
Al-Sharaa previously led insurgents against American troops in Iraq under the name Abu Mohammed al-Golani, an affiliate of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization. The US military, which labeled him a terrorist, banned him for years. But now, the same al-Sharaa has gained prominence by meeting with the US president.
Before the meeting, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria. Israel, which is fighting Hamas in Gaza, is expressing dissatisfaction with the change in US stance. “I am lifting sanctions on Syria… This will give them a new era. The sanctions have become very severe,” Trump said. However, the meeting with Al-Sharaa was held in secret. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated virtually in the discussion, which lasted about 30 minutes.
The White House announced that Trump asked Sharah to recognize Israel, expel foreign militants from Syria, and help prevent the resurgence of the Islamic State (IS). Trump also requested that the government take over the facilities currently holding about 9,000 IS militants and sympathizers in Syria. They are currently under the control of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces).
Al-Sharaa took over as interim president in January 2025 after the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took control of the capital Damascus in a coup. Since then, Gulf states have expressed support for the new government. The Gulf states see this change as a strategic move against Iranian influence.
Israel, however, is concerned about al-Shara’s past ties to the terrorist organization al-Qaeda and its Islamist background, particularly the possibility of a Gaza-style attack from the northern border.
People in Syria celebrated after Trump’s announcement on sanctions. Flags waved and fireworks were set off in Umayyad Square in Damascus. The Syrian state news agency SANA broadcast the event live. “The lifting of sanctions is a turning point in the lives of the Syrian people. It supports our path to stability, self-restraint and national reconstruction,” the Syrian Foreign Ministry said.
Trump- Al-Shara’s meeting can be called a historic turning point in US-Syrian relations. But it is likely to affect US relations with Israel. Can Syria regain its place internationally after decades of civil war? Now it has become interesting.
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