US President Donald Trump received Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday (10) – the first official visit by a Syrian leader to the location
Trump praised al-Sharaa, calling him a “strong leader” who comes from a difficult place, and said the two get along well.
“We are also working with Israel so that everyone understands Syria, and that is working incredibly well,” Trump stated during a ceremony to swear in the new US ambassador to India.
He added that it should soon be announced that Syria will join the international coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
“We want to see Syria become a successful country, and I believe this leader can do that,” he concluded.
Al-Sharaa, a former member of Al-Qaeda, led the rebellion against the regime of Bashar al-Assad and assumed power in December.
Photos released by the Syrian government show a cordial atmosphere at the White House.
Present were Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine.
The meeting, which lasted almost two hours, addressed relations between Syria and the United States, ways to strengthen them, and regional and international issues of common interest, according to an official Syrian statement.
During the visit, the State Department renewed the suspension of most US sanctions against Syria for another 180 days.
On Sunday, Republican Representative Brian Mast, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a veteran who lost both legs in Afghanistan, had dinner with al-Sharaa.
“We had a long and serious conversation about how to build a future for the Syrian people free from war, ISIS, and extremism,” Mast said.
Former enemies, the two wondered why they are no longer adversaries.
“He wants to leave the past behind and seek a noble future for his people and his country, being a great ally of the United States,” al-Sharaa replied.
Upon leaving the White House, the Syrian leader was greeted by supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue with shouts of “Allahu Akbar.” He wore a scarf thrown by the crowd bearing the flag of the Syrian rebels.
Published in 11/11/2025 09h32
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
Reference article: