Al-Sharaa to become the first Syrian president to visit the White House after an unlikely rise

Former Al-Qaida Fighter Now Syrian President Set for Historic Washington Visit

Two decades after being detained in a U.S.-run facility in Iraq as an al-Qaida militant, Ahmad al-Sharaa is poised to make history as the first Syrian president to visit Washington since Syria’s independence in 1946.

Al-Sharaa, who led rebel forces that ousted former President Bashar Assad last December, arrived in the United States on Saturday ahead of Monday’s meeting with President Donald Trump. The visit marks a remarkable turnaround for al-Sharaa, who long ago severed ties with al-Qaida and has since embarked on a largely successful diplomatic campaign to establish relationships with countries that had isolated Assad’s regime.

The two leaders previously met in Saudi Arabia in May, where Trump announced he would lift decades-old sanctions against Syria. During the upcoming Washington summit, Syria is widely expected to formally join the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group, solidifying a new chapter in U.S.-Syrian relations.

A primary focus of al-Sharaa’s visit will be pushing for the full repeal of the Caesar Act, which imposed sweeping sanctions over human rights abuses committed by the Assad regime. While these sanctions are currently waived by presidential order, permanent removal requires congressional approval.

“It’s a tough neighborhood and he’s a tough guy, but I got along with him very well, and a lot of progress has been made with Syria,” Trump told reporters ahead of the visit, adding that lifting sanctions would “give them a fighting shot.”

The diplomatic groundwork has already begun. Last Thursday, the UN Security Council voted to remove sanctions targeting al-Sharaa and his interior minister, followed by the U.S. removing both officials from its “specially designated global terrorist” list.

In Congress, the path forward appears mixed. Senators have advanced a repeal through an annual defense authorization bill, but the legislation remains under negotiation with the House, where some Republicans seek conditions on the removal.

Rep. Brian Mast, Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has expressed reservations about a full repeal without conditions. Similarly, Senator Lindsey Graham has advocated for requirements including protection of religious and ethnic minorities, peaceful regional relations including with Israel, and removal of foreign fighters from government institutions.

These concerns stem from troubling incidents over the past year when pro-government Sunni gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from minority communities, including Alawites and Druze. While al-Sharaa has promised accountability, these communities remain wary of his leadership.

The advocacy group Save the Persecuted Christians recently sent Trump a letter signed by 100 U.S. religious leaders urging him to address the “massacre” of minorities in Syria and to push for a humanitarian corridor from the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights to the Druze enclave of Sweida in southern Syria.

Meanwhile, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has championed a complete Caesar Act repeal, stating that “we have a real opportunity in the Middle East right now that we haven’t had in my lifetime.”

Supporters of repeal argue that maintaining sanctions designed to pressure Assad’s government is unfair to the new leadership. They also warn that the threat of reimposing these sanctions would deter international companies from investing in Syria’s reconstruction efforts.

“But to use Caesar for that is like using a sledgehammer instead of a scalpel — you’re going to kill the person you’re operating on,” said Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, which initially lobbied for the sanctions but now advocates for their removal.

Beyond sanctions relief, al-Sharaa’s visit is expected to formalize Syria’s entry into the anti-IS coalition. U.S. envoy Tom Barrack indicated last week that Syria will “hopefully” soon join the alliance of approximately 80 countries working to prevent an IS resurgence.

A Trump administration official, speaking anonymously, said al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement joining the coalition during his visit. This formal entry would enable closer cooperation between U.S. and Syrian forces in combating IS, which continues to pose a threat despite losing its territorial holdings.

Lt. Cmdr. Emily Pumphrey, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, reported 311 IS attacks in Syria and 64 in Iraq so far this year, down from 878 and 160 respectively in 2024.

Before overthrowing Assad, al-Sharaa—then known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani—led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamic insurgent group controlling northwestern Syria. Though formerly affiliated with al-Qaida, the group later split from it and actively fought against IS cells in territories under its control.

Since al-Sharaa assumed power, the U.S. military has expanded its cooperation with Damascus, pushing for integration between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the new Syrian army. While both sides have agreed in principle to merge, implementation has stalled amid tensions that occasionally erupt into armed clashes.

As al-Sharaa prepares for his historic meeting in Washington, both nations appear ready to forge a new relationship—one that would have seemed unimaginable during his detention in Iraq two decades ago.