Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday in a historic first for Syrian diplomacy. In an interview with The Washington Post afterward, Sharaa stressed the urgent need for sanctions relief to help Syria rebuild after decades of conflict.
“It is clear from Mr. Trump’s policies that he supports Syria’s stability and territorial integrity, as well as the full lifting of sanctions,” Sharaa told The Washington Post. He added that “the majority” of the members of Congress he met on Monday also back lifting the sanctions.
The visit represents a historic first for a Syrian leader in Washington, where Sharaa was greeted by a crowd of supporters waving Syrian flags outside the White House. Since assuming power in December 2024 following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has gradually reshaped his image from former rebel leader and ex-Islamist militant into an international interlocutor, meeting world leaders and diplomats while seeking political and financial support for his country.
The Trump administration partially met Sharaa’s expectations by temporarily suspending, for six months, certain sanctions under the Caesar Act, granting Syria limited access to international financing and the global banking system – crucial for rebuilding war-damaged infrastructure. The measure also aims to ease the import of essential goods, particularly for the healthcare sector. “Syria deserves the opportunity to become a stable and prosperous country again,” Sharaa said.
The Caesar Act, passed in 2020, was designed to penalize any entity supporting the Syrian government or participating in reconstruction without prior U.S. approval.
Sharaa described negotiations with Israel as “difficult but ongoing,” noting they are taking place with the support of the United States and other international actors. He added that any future agreement would require Israel to withdraw to positions held by its forces prior to the fall of Assad’s regime on December 8, 2024.
“I believe that in the world, the United States is the only country that can put Israeli conduct under check,” al-Sharaa said.
According to The Washington Post, U.S. support for the Syrian president is driven by strategic interests: stabilizing Syria, allowing a partial U.S. troop withdrawal, and integrating Kurdish forces into the national army under the anti-Islamic State coalition. Despite cooperation with former adversaries such as Russia, al-Sharaa “has decided he needs U.S. support” to secure financial aid from Gulf countries and strengthen his position vis-à-vis Israel.
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