President Donald Trump met Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on November 10, 2025, in talks that touched on Syria’s prospective entry into the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State group and the future of sanctions following the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
On Monday, November 10, 2025, Syrian President Ahmed (also spelled Ahmad) al-Sharaa arrived at the White House around 11:30 a.m. for a closed-door Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump that lasted about two hours. He entered via West Executive Avenue and later greeted supporters outside before departing in his motorcade, according to the Associated Press. (apnews.com)
The visit marked the first by a Syrian head of state to the White House since Syria’s independence in 1946, a milestone noted by multiple outlets. The meeting comes after the United States eased many sanctions that were imposed during the Assad family’s rule following Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in late 2024. (apnews.com)
Al-Sharaa led rebel forces that toppled Assad in December 2024 and became interim leader in January 2025. He is a former leader in a faction that had ties to al‑Qaida, and U.S. authorities once offered a $10 million bounty for information leading to his capture. (apnews.com)
Trump and al‑Sharaa first met in May 2025 in Saudi Arabia. After that encounter, Trump praised him as a “young, attractive guy… Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter,” comments reported by international outlets at the time. (ndtv.com)
Following Monday’s talks, Trump called al‑Sharaa a “very strong leader” from a “very tough place,” said he liked him, and told reporters an announcement on Syria was forthcoming. He also lauded al‑Sharaa’s ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and said the administration was working with Israel on regional diplomacy, according to the Daily Wire coverage of Trump’s Oval Office remarks. (dailywire.com)
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the meeting as part of Trump’s effort “to meet with anyone around the world in the pursuit of peace,” the Associated Press reported. U.S. officials say Syria’s inclusion in the global coalition against the Islamic State group would formalize cooperation alongside existing anti‑ISIS efforts by Syrian government forces and the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces; AP added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Monday with the Syrian and Turkish foreign ministers to discuss integrating the SDF into Syria’s military, though concrete steps remained unclear. (apnews.com)
Ahead of the visit, the U.N. Security Council voted to lift sanctions on al‑Sharaa and other officials. The U.S.-drafted resolution passed with 14 votes in favor and China abstaining; U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said the decision signaled “a new era” for Syria after Assad’s fall, according to AP and Reuters. (apnews.com)
Sanctions policy remains in flux. The Treasury Department extended a waiver of Caesar Act sanctions for another 180 days. On Capitol Hill, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D‑N.H., has proposed an unconditional repeal, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R‑S.C., backs a conditional repeal subject to six‑month reviews. Advocates, including Mouaz Moustafa of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, warn that conditional repeal would cast a “hanging shadow” over investment. These details were reported by the Associated Press. (apnews.com)
The meeting also drew domestic political attention. After Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the administration’s focus on foreign policy and urged more attention to health‑insurance costs, Trump responded that a president must “watch over the world” to keep wider wars from reaching U.S. shores, remarks captured in Daily Wire’s report and video. The outlet also noted appeals from American faith leaders urging Trump to press for relief from violence and aid blockades affecting religious minorities in southern Syria, including in the Suwayda area. (dailywire.com)
While the administration portrays the engagement as a step toward stabilizing Syria and countering ISIS, key outcomes—such as the timing and terms of Syria’s formal entry into the anti‑ISIS coalition, and the trajectory of U.S. sanctions—remain contingent on further decisions at the U.N., the Treasury Department, and in Congress. (apnews.com)
