The United States issued a new waiver on Monday that suspends its toughest sanctions on Syria as interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa visited Washington and met President Donald Trump at the White House.
The timing underlined Damascus’s push to normalize relations with the West after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s presidency said talks with Trump covered bilateral ties, ways to strengthen them, and regional and international concerns of shared interest.
After the meeting, Trump offered public praise for al-Sharaa and described U.S. efforts to encourage Syrian recovery as part of a broader push for stability in the Middle East. The president has repeatedly characterized a U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire as a landmark peace, even as Israeli strikes have continued across the occupied Palestinian territories and Lebanon.
Al-Sharaa’s trajectory has been dramatic. Once an armed opposition leader who helped bring down Assad late last year, he led forces that ended Syria’s civil war, which began with anti-regime protests in 2011. He is the first Syrian president to visit the White House; Trump had met him in May during a trip to Saudi Arabia and then signaled an intention to ease restrictions on Damascus.
The waiver announced on Monday extends suspension of the Caesar Act sanctions for an additional six months. Those measures had largely prohibited U.S. business with the Syrian government and military. Syrian advocates are pressing Congress for a permanent repeal. The U.S. Treasury argued that lifting certain sanctions would support reconstruction, expand prosperity for all Syrians including minorities, and help counter terrorism, saying the administration intends to give Syria a chance to rebuild.
Reports have suggested Damascus might join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIL, which could pave the way for a reduction of American troops. Al-Sharaa, 43, was captured by U.S. forces in Iraq during the occupation and previously led al-Qaeda’s Syrian branch. Less than a year ago the U.S. designated him a global terrorist and offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. He split from al-Qaeda in 2016, has abandoned his nom de guerre and now uses his birth name while promoting a more inclusive vision for Syria. He addressed the UN General Assembly earlier this year about Syria reclaiming its place among nations, and Western governments have cautiously begun to re-engage with Damascus after decades of hostility toward the former regime.
The White House visit was deliberately low-key: al-Sharaa entered through a side door, there was no formal outdoor greeting by the president, and no joint photo opportunity or press briefing followed.
On the eve of the meeting he also met Republican Congressman Brian Mast, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and a vocal pro-Israel voice. Mast described a lengthy, serious conversation about a future for Syrians free of war and extremism; he is reported to remain skeptical about lifting sanctions.
Since Assad’s fall, Israel has carried out regular strikes on Syrian military and state targets and expanded operations in the south beyond the Golan. Al-Sharaa has publicly said Syria will not threaten Israel and has detained senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad figures. He has sought a security arrangement with Israel intended to secure Israeli withdrawals from areas occupied during the recent fighting, but those overtures have not stopped Israeli attacks.
Asked about Syria, Trump told reporters he was coordinating with Israel on improved relations with Damascus and hinted that further announcements could be forthcoming. He expressed optimism that Syria could become more successful under new leadership, while acknowledging al-Sharaa’s controversial past and suggesting it should not preclude engagement.