The president had tea with the Syrian leader, a former jihadist who until recently had a $10 million US bounty on his head.
In a surprising diplomatic shift, former US President Donald Trump met Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, during a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh. This marked the first US-Syria presidential meeting in 25 years.
Trump praised Sharaa — a former jihadist who once led al-Qaeda's Syrian wing and overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December — as a “tough, attractive guy” with a “strong past.”
Trump offered Syria a major incentive by announcing the end of crippling US sanctions, aiming to give the war-torn nation a fresh economic start.
In return, he urged Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel, join the Abraham Accords, expel Palestinian militants, remove foreign fighters, and help manage Islamic State prisoners.
While Sharaa reportedly responded positively to normalization, Trump acknowledged that Syria still has significant work to do.
The meeting has stirred mixed global reactions, particularly from Israel, which remains wary of Sharaa despite the US push for regional reconciliation.
Syrians celebrated the lifting of sanctions with fireworks, hopeful for reintegration into the global economy.
Though controversial, Trump’s move signals a potential turning point for Syria, aiming to stabilize the region and reshape alliances under the evolving Abraham Accords.
