In a move that has stunned the international community, U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, the first-ever visit by a Syrian leader to the U.S. seat of power.
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The closed-door meeting, from which reporters and cameras were barred, marks a dramatic shift in Washington’s diplomatic posture toward Damascus. Details of the discussion have not been made public, and no joint statement was issued at press time.
President al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander once listed on the U.S. most-wanted list with a $10 million bounty, was removed from Washington’s terror watch list in December 2024 following what officials described as “significant political transformation and cooperation on regional counterterrorism.”
The Syrian leader’s visit comes barely weeks after his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, his first on U.S. soil, which analysts have described as symbolic of his evolution from jihadist militant to internationally recognized head of state.
Al-Sharaa previously served time in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison before emerging as a political figure during Syria’s post-war reconstruction process.
White House officials have yet to comment on the outcome of the meeting, though diplomatic observers say the engagement underscores Trump’s unconventional approach to foreign policy and conflict resolution in the Middle East.
The visit has drawn mixed reactions from global leaders, with critics questioning the legitimacy of rehabilitating a former extremist figure, while supporters hail it as a bold step toward lasting peace in the region.
