Newsletters
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa is scheduled to visit the White House on Nov. 10 to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. While many in the media focus on the irony of Sharaa’s transformation—from having a $10 million bounty on his head to now being welcomed at the White House—I find this line of commentary increasingly repetitive. The more important question is: why is Sharaa meeting the American president, and what does he hope to achieve?
When the Syrian president met Trump in Riyadh months ago, it marked a historic victory for Syria. Trump ordered all sanctions on Syria to be lifted. Currently, the final remaining hurdle—the Caesar Act—is on track to be removed entirely. A bill has already passed the Senate and is awaiting approval in the House of Representatives. Sharaa will likely ask Trump to use his influence with lawmakers to ensure there are no speed bumps.
A second key topic for Shara will undoubtedly be investments. Even when I personally met the president along with other experts, he took additional time out of his schedule to emphasize his commitment to facilitating investments. Without sufficient investment, his economic and political plans risk collapse.
Furthermore, the Syrian president remains on the U.N. terrorism list. Sharaa can be expected to request the American president’s support for his removal from the list. However, there are reports that China remains uneasy about the prospect of delisting him.
1 min read
Sharaa wants to avoid any direct escalation with Israel and is interested in pursuing a new security arrangement—something akin to the 1974 disengagement agreement.
Given Trump’s actions in Gaza, Sharaa will likely seek his backing to persuade Israel to accept such a deal. A previous round of negotiations failed when Israel introduced unacceptable last-minute demands.
As part of the Israeli dimension, the Syrian president will also aim to share his perspective on the recent events in Sweida and request continued American mediation in the Druze issue.
However, perhaps the most significant aspect of this meeting will be the discussion of Syria’s potential inclusion in the international coalition to fight Daesh. Yet Syria is already fighting Daesh and coordinating with the U.S.—so what would be different?
The American side seeks an official framework for cooperation, while Damascus believes that by formally joining the coalition, it can strengthen its position in negotiations with the YPG-dominated SDF. As an official member of the coalition, Syria would gain a voice in determining whether the coalition continues supporting a Syrian entity not under Damascus’ control.
1 min read
