The United States announced a partial suspension of sanctions on Syria following a landmark White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Monday’s session was the first summit between a U.S. president and a Syrian head of state at the White House since 1946, signaling a sharp reversal in ties after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s government collapsed in December 2024 after a civil war that began in 2011.
Sharaa, who once led the rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and at one time carried a reported $10 million bounty, arrived at the White House in a dark suit and red tie and met with supporters before the meeting. He is a former al-Qaida-aligned commander; after his forces ousted Assad, HTS was removed from the U.S. list of foreign terrorist organizations and the bounty on Sharaa was rescinded.
Speaking in the Oval Office, President Trump praised Sharaa, saying, “He’s a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place. Tough guy. I like him. I get along with the president, the new president in Syria, and we’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East.”
Following the summit, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a 180-day suspension of certain sanctions under the Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, commonly known as the Caesar Act. The measure, which had targeted Syria’s energy sector and deterred international investment in reconstruction, will be partially lifted for six months. The exemptions explicitly exclude transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran or transfers of goods, technology, software, funds, financing or services of Russian or Iranian origin.
In a government statement, Washington said, “President Trump is delivering on his commitment to give Syria ‘a chance at greatness’ and to let them rebuild and thrive by lifting US sanctions and ensuring accountability for harmful actors.”
U.S. officials said they are seeking Syria’s participation in a U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. Sharaa and U.S. leaders also discussed diplomatic normalization: Syria has indicated plans to reopen an embassy in Washington that had been closed under Assad’s rule, though no formal reopening was announced on Monday. Sharaa described the discussions as producing a “political” agreement.
When asked whether further announcements on Syria joining the anti-Islamic State coalition or a security arrangement with Israel were imminent, President Trump said, “Yes, you can expect an announcement on Syria. We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful.”
Syria’s foreign ministry additionally said it had agreed with the United States to integrate the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian army, a move that could reshape the country’s security landscape as reconstruction and diplomatic ties advance.
