Historic Washington Visit: Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa Arrives After US Delisting

Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Washington on Saturday for a landmark official visit, state media reported, one day after the United States removed him from its terrorism blacklist.

Sharaa — whose rebel forces toppled long-time leader Bashar al-Assad late last year, according to the reporting — is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Analysts say this is the first visit to the United States by a Syrian head of state since independence in 1946.

Delisting and US-Syria Engagement

The State Department's decision to delist Sharaa was widely anticipated. Spokesman Tommy Pigott said the move recognized steps by Sharaa's government on several US priorities, including efforts to locate missing Americans and to eliminate any remaining chemical weapons stockpiles.

"These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad and more than 50 years of repression under the Assad regime," Pigott said. He added the delisting is meant to promote "regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process."

Washington's envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, has said he hopes Sharaa will sign an agreement to join the international US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Security and Aid Coordination

A diplomatic source in Syria told AFP that the United States plans to establish a military presence near Damascus to coordinate humanitarian aid and to monitor developments along the Syria–Israel frontier. The US role in coordination and aid diplomacy is a key element of talks expected during Sharaa's visit.

The Syrian interior ministry told state news agency SANA it had carried out 61 raids and arrested 71 people in a "proactive campaign to neutralise the threat" posed by IS sleeper cells. Authorities named Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, Deir ez-Zor, Raqqa and Damascus as areas targeted in the operations.

Meetings and Public Moments

After landing, Sharaa met representatives of Syrian organizations in Washington, the official media reported. A pre-departure social media video posted by the Syrian foreign minister shows Sharaa playing basketball with CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper and Kevin Lambert, head of the international anti-IS operation in Iraq, captioned "work hard, play harder."

Transformation and International Response

Sharaa's visit follows his September address to the UN General Assembly — his first time on US soil — and a subsequent vote at the UN Security Council led by Washington to lift sanctions that targeted him. His former group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), was delisted by the United States in July.

"The White House visit is further testament to the US commitment to the new Syria and a hugely symbolic moment for the country's new leader," said Michael Hanna, US program director at the International Crisis Group. "It marks another step in his transformation from militant leader to statesman."

Sharaa is expected to press for international financing to help rebuild Syria after 13 years of conflict. In October the World Bank estimated a "conservative best estimate" of reconstruction costs at $216 billion.

Looking ahead: The Washington visit will be closely watched for concrete agreements on security cooperation, humanitarian access and reconstruction funding, and for signals about how the US and other international partners will engage with Syria's new leadership.