Syria is set to join the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS) group, a major reversal in long-standing US Middle East policy, according to a senior Trump administration official.
The development follows a landmark meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa — the first-ever visit by a Syrian leader to Washington.
In an interview with Fox News’ Special Report, al-Sharaa described the visit as the beginning of a “new era” of cooperation with the United States. President Trump has repeatedly voiced admiration for al-Sharaa, who until recently had been listed as a terrorist by the US.
With Syria’s addition, the anti-IS coalition will expand to 90 countries, aiming to eliminate remnants of the extremist group and curb the flow of foreign fighters into the region.
Following the meeting, officials confirmed that the Treasury, State, and Commerce departments will soon unveil a package of measures easing economic restrictions on Syria, offering “compliance clarity” for international investors. This includes a 180-day suspension of the Caesar Act, which had imposed heavy sanctions on the former Syrian government since 2019.
Trump told reporters that the US wants to see a “successful” Syria under its new leadership. “I think this leader can do it,” he said.
Diplomatic relations between Washington and Damascus — severed in 2012 — will also begin to thaw, with the US allowing Syria to reopen its embassy.
The meeting marks the third encounter between Trump and al-Sharaa, following earlier talks at the GCC summit in May and a UN General Assembly dinner in September.
Al-Sharaa’s rise has been extraordinary. A former Al-Qaeda affiliate commander and leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham — designated a terrorist group by the US until four months ago — he was removed from the US “global terrorist” list just last week. Once carrying a $10 million US bounty, he has since attempted to remake his image while leading Syria’s reconstruction efforts after 13 years of war.
His tenure, however, has been shadowed by violence involving Alawite communities and clashes between Sunni Bedouin fighters and Druze militias. Al-Sharaa has pledged to act against human rights abuses committed by his own security forces.
President Trump has nonetheless expressed strong personal support, calling him a “fighter” and “a young, attractive guy.”
In June, Trump lifted US sanctions on Syria via executive order, part of a broader strategy to encourage stability while monitoring Syria’s steps toward normalising relations with Israel and addressing extremist threats.
Al-Sharaa said he and Trump focused not on the past but on “the present and the future” — one in which Syria becomes a geopolitical and economic partner of the United States.
