US President Donald Trump welcomed Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, marking the first official visit by a Syrian head of state to the US presidential residence.
The meeting was conducted behind closed doors, with no reporters or cameras allowed, departing 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 was once imprisoned at Iraq’s notorious Abu Ghraib facility.
Analysts say his Washington visit reflects a significant shift in his international standing, following his recent appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Ahead of the visit, the US lifted sanctions previously imposed on al-Sharaa and removed the global terrorist designations applied to him and Syria’s Interior Minister, Anas Khattab.
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Trump had earlier described the 43-year-old leader as a “young, attractive guy” with a very strong past after a brief meeting in May during his Middle East tour. Subsequently, 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 suggest that his White House visit is part of a broader effort to reposition Syria on the global diplomatic stage.