According to Reuters, Syrian authorities have thwarted two separate Islamic State (IS) plots to assassinate President Ahmed al-Sharaa in recent months, in what officials described as a direct threat to the leader as he prepares to join a U.S.-led coalition against the militant group.
Two senior officials, one Syrian and one from the broader Middle East, told Reuters the assassination attempts were uncovered ahead of Sharaa’s planned visit to Washington, where he is set to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday in what would be the first-ever White House meeting with a Syrian head of state. The officials declined to share further details, citing the sensitivity of the matter.
The revelations come as Sharaa, who rose to power last December after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, seeks to reposition Syria away from its former alliance with Russia and Iran toward closer ties with the West. His government has already been cooperating with U.S. forces against IS, and formally joining the coalition is expected to deepen that partnership and bolster his international legitimacy.
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