Overview
- The closed-door session marked the first White House visit by a Syrian leader since 1946, with al-Sharaa entering without the usual photo op as the meeting was kept low-profile.
- The Treasury suspended enforcement of key Caesar Act provisions for 180 days to enable limited economic engagement, a temporary step that only Congress can make permanent.
- Syria signed a political cooperation declaration to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIL, which officials said currently carries no military commitments.
- Members of Congress engaged al-Sharaa during his Washington visit, with several senators calling the talks encouraging while Rep. Brian Mast withheld support for lifting sanctions.
- Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda-linked commander recently delisted with a canceled $10 million bounty, said Syria is not entering direct talks to join the Abraham Accords now, and security officials reported foiled ISIL plots to kill him in recent months.