Newsletters
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has been invited to visit Washington on June 14, at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump, Syria TV reported Thursday, citing an exclusive source.
The visit would be his third visit to the United States since taking office, with sanctions relief, economic support, Hezbollah and regional developments reportedly expected to top the agenda.
A source cited by Syria TV said Sharaa planned to travel to Washington on Sunday in response to a Trump invitation, following a recent phone call between the two leaders in which they discussed bilateral relations, the political and security situation in the region, and ways to enhance cooperation to support Syrian stability and economic recovery.
A diplomatic source also confirmed the invitation to Agence France-Presse (AFP), noting the visit was set for June 14, Trump's 80th birthday, though the source did not confirm whether Sharaa would attend.
According to Syria's presidential office, Sharaa had stressed during the phone call the importance of continued international support for Syria in its reconstruction phase and said lifting remaining sanctions was "an essential step to enable the Syrian economy to restore its activity and improve the living conditions of citizens."
He also emphasized encouraging investment and creating the right environment for economic and development projects.
The visit would be Sharaa's third to the United States, following a trip to New York in September 2025 and a White House visit in November 2025, the first by a Syrian head of state since the country's independence in 1946.
The invitation follows Trump's remarks in a NBC News interview in which he praised Sharaa as a "very good leader" doing a "good job in a short period of time" and floated Syria's potential role in targeting Hezbollah.
"I'd like to see a more surgical attack on Hezbollah. I think it should be more surgical. And we can help them with that, or we can recommend Syria," Trump said.
"Syria's doing a very good job of cleaning up their act. He would love to help," he added.
A diplomat who requested anonymity told AFP that Washington had been pressing Damascus since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war to consider intervening against the Iran-backed group, with which Syria shares a long, porous border.
Syria's Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir told the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington on June 10 that the country viewed the current moment as an opportunity to redefine its role as "an active partner and a vital regional hub contributing to regional and international energy security."
Bashir announced strategic partnerships with Chevron, ConocoPhillips, HKN Energy, GE, TotalEnergies, Simmons and Ansaldo, with advanced talks underway with Italian and European firms.
He also announced a $7 billion investment agreement with Qatar's UCC Holding covering electricity, infrastructure and renewable energy.
Syrian Petroleum Company CEO Youssef Qablawi separately said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz had created a direct strategic opening for Syria.
He outlined plans to rebuild the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline, approximately 1,200 kilometers from Kirkuk's oil fields to Syria's Mediterranean port of Baniyas, and said the plan had been discussed with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and had Washington's support.
Qablawi projected Syrian oil output could reach 1 million barrels per day by 2030.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
2 min read
