History was made in Washington this week as Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa stepped onto American soil for the first official visit by a Syrian head of state since the country’s independence in 1946. The visit, which began on November 8, 2025, culminated in a two-hour meeting at the White House on November 10 with U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling what both leaders described as a new era in U.S.-Syrian relations. The event has been hailed as a "historic turning point" by U.S. officials and marks Syria’s remarkable shift from decades of isolation to partnership with the West.
Thomas Barrack, the U.S. envoy to Syria, captured the mood of the moment in a post on X, describing the visit as “a decisive turning point in the modern history of the Middle East and in Syria’s remarkable shift from isolation to partnership.” He added, “Damascus will help us effectively to confront and dismantle the remnants of the Islamic State, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist networks.” Barrack stressed that Syria is now committed to joining the Global Coalition against the Islamic State group, a move that underscores its transition from being seen as a source of regional instability to a partner in the fight against extremism.
During the White House meeting, the two presidents were joined by high-level officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. According to Barrack, this trilateral session mapped out the next stage of cooperation between the United States, Turkey, and Syria. He praised Turkey’s role in facilitating Syria’s transition, calling it “a testament to quiet, steady diplomacy that builds bridges where walls once stood.” Barrack also highlighted the broader regional alliance, which now includes Qatar and Saudi Arabia, supporting Syria’s return as a nation-state representing all its tribal, religious, and cultural components.
The visit was not without its lighter moments. According to The Economic Times, President Trump presented al-Sharaa with a bottle of his signature 'Victory' perfume in the Oval Office, jokingly spraying some on himself, the Syrian president, and a member of al-Sharaa’s staff. Trump then handed a second bottle to al-Sharaa, quipping, “How many wives? One?” The Syrian president smiled and replied, “One.” These exchanges, while playful, highlighted the personal rapport the leaders aimed to establish during this historic encounter.
Al-Sharaa’s visit comes on the heels of significant political change in Syria. Having led the rebel movement that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, al-Sharaa assumed the role of interim president in 2025. His administration has prioritized mending ties with the West and reopening diplomatic channels that had been closed for decades. In a post-meeting interview with Fox News, al-Sharaa declared, “Relations between Damascus and Washington have entered a new phase after decades of rupture and isolation.” He emphasized that this was the first time a Syrian president had set foot in the White House since the republic’s founding, calling it a “strategic shift” for Syria following the fall of the Assad regime.
Central to the discussions was the issue of U.S. sanctions, particularly those imposed under the Caesar Act in 2019 in response to human rights abuses by the Assad regime. These sanctions have severely restricted Syria’s access to international financial systems, hampering reconstruction efforts in a country devastated by years of civil war. President Trump, who ordered a temporary reprieve of sanctions in June 2025, is now weighing the possibility of a permanent lifting of these restrictions—a move that would require congressional approval.
In an interview with The Washington Post published on November 12, al-Sharaa made clear his top priority: “It is clear from Trump’s policies that he supports Syria’s stability and territorial unity and the full lifting of sanctions on Syria, and he is pushing in that direction.” He noted that most members of Congress he met during his visit supported lifting the sanctions. Still, some lawmakers have insisted on conditions, including guarantees of religious pluralism and a positive framework for relations with Israel.
“The US administration agrees that Syria deserves a chance to be stable, build its economy, and preserve its territorial integrity,” al-Sharaa said, adding that the current sanctions are in their “final stages.” He urged Syrians to seize the “rare” opportunity presented by this diplomatic thaw.
Yet, the path forward is not without challenges. Civil society leaders, human rights organizations, and representatives of Syria’s minority communities have voiced concern about the direction of al-Sharaa’s government. According to ICC Newsroom, at a recent Capitol Hill event titled “Fortifying Religious Freedom in Syria,” representatives from Druze, Alawite, Kurdish, and Christian communities called for greater decentralization and protection for minorities. Nadine Maenza, one of the event’s organizers, argued, “A united Syria, with decentralization or federalism, gives this beautiful country its best chance at peace and stability.”
Al-Sharaa, however, has favored a strong central government over federalism, raising fears that the new administration may not adequately address the needs of Syria’s diverse population. The October 2025 parliamentary elections, which saw 119 new parliamentarians chosen by local councils, resulted in only six women and fewer than a dozen minority representatives being elected. The majority of seats went to members of the Sunni majority, with only a single Christian elected. The remaining 70 seats in the 210-member parliament are to be filled by presidential appointment, but as of mid-November, those appointments have yet to be announced, leaving observers anxious about whether the promised inclusivity will materialize.
Despite these concerns, the momentum for change is palpable. The U.S. has agreed to allow Syria to reopen its embassy in Washington, paving the way for deeper cooperation on security, counterterrorism, and economic development. The Syrian government, for its part, has pledged to work closely with the Global Coalition against ISIS as its 90th member, a move widely seen as symbolic of Syria’s new international posture.
As Barrack put it, “President Trump’s leadership is setting a new path to balance, built first on security, then on prosperity.” He called on Congress to repeal the Caesar Act, arguing that this would “enable the new Syrian government to restart its economic engine, allowing the Syrian people and their regional neighbors not only to survive but also to prosper.”
With the world watching, Syria’s future hangs in the balance. The coming months will reveal whether the promises of inclusivity, reconstruction, and partnership can be realized—or whether old divisions will reassert themselves. For now, the doors that were once firmly closed have swung open, offering a rare opportunity for Syrians to shape a new chapter in their history.
