US President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, marking the first time a Syrian head of state has officially visited the US presidential residence.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, with no reporters or cameras allowed, breaking from standard White House protocol.
Al-Sharaa, who previously led the US-designated terrorist group al-Qaeda, had a $10 million bounty on his head until December 2024 and spent time in Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib prison.
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Analysts note that his visit to Washington reflects a dramatic shift in his international profile, following his recent appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ahead of his White House visit, the US lifted sanctions previously imposed on al-Sharaa, as well as the global terrorist designations applied to him and Syria’s Interior Minister, Anas Khattab.
Trump previously described the 43-year-old Syrian leader as a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past” after a brief encounter in May during his Middle East tour. Following that meeting, the US eased certain economic sanctions on Syria.
Al-Sharaa assumed the Syrian presidency on a transitional basis in January after opposition forces launched a major offensive against government troops, forcing former President Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia. Analysts say his Washington visit signals an effort to reposition Syria on the global diplomatic stage.
