Overview
- The meeting marks the first time a Syrian president has been received in Washington since the country’s 1946 independence.
- The United States removed al‑Sharaa from its terrorism list and the UN Security Council lifted sanctions on him and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab, enabling the visit.
- Al‑Sharaa is expected to sign Syria’s entry into the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, according to the U.S. special envoy and diplomatic sources.
- Syrian authorities reported 61 raids and 71 arrests targeting suspected IS cells ahead of the trip, with explosives and weapons seized.
- Diplomats report U.S. plans for a military presence near Damascus, while Damascus seeks reconstruction financing and rights monitors cite ongoing abductions and unresolved disappearances.