President Donald Trump was in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he met Syria’s interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who happens to be the former leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which was an offshoot of al-Qaeda and designated as a terrorist organization by the American government. The meeting, which took place at the request of the prince of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was held after Trump lifted the US sanctions that had been in place since 1979.
After the meeting, Trump, who’s known for his blunt judgments, praised Mr. Ahmad al-Sharaa as he claimed he is a “young, attractive, tough guy” with a “very strong” past. Speaking on Air Force One, Donald Trump said, “He’s got a real shot at holding it together.” Moreover, the 78-year-old is the first one to meet a Syrian leader who urged the jihadis to rectify ties with Israel.
Today, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi… pic.twitter.com/0yhyZbQ1o0
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 14, 2025
As per a report, Donald Trump did not mention if he would remove Syria from the blocklist of state sponsors of terrorism — a designation dating back to 1979 over aid to Palestinian militants that severely hampers investment. Meanwhile, the former terrorist Al-Sharaa came to power in December 2024 after Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship collapsed. Since then, the former terrorist has worked on himself and changed his appearance. He cut his beard, started wearing suits, and started meeting International leaders (and even gained a compliment from Trump!).
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The young man is in charge of making Syria better again. He is working to establish a new parliament and stabilise the country. Donald Trump’s endorsement of the Syrian leader marks a positive and new beginning in US-Syrian diplomacy. Trump showcased full support for Ahmad al-Sharaa and encouraged the country to fix its political relations with Israel.
Most of us know that the political scenario between Israel and Syria has been rocky for many decades; this is due to differences, including war and lack of a peace treaty, and differences over the Golan Heights, which Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War. However, Syria still wants it back. Moreover, Syria, especially under Bashar al-Assad, has supported groups like Hamas, which are a threat to Israel. In addition, Israel has carried out several airstrikes on Syria targeting Iranian forces under the former president al-Assad’s regime.
Since the United States happens to be a close ally of Israel and has opposed any regime in Syria seen as hostile to Israel, Donald Trump encouraged the young leader to work towards bettering ties with Israel. It seems like a big step that would fix years of differences and hatred. However, the journey towards it would be a tough one, filled with a history of deep-rooted conflict.
Yet, Donald Trump, who strongly urges attaining peace during conflict, like most people, has stuck by his stance with a glimmer of hope and prayer, like any of us. For a person like Trump, who’s quite firm on his decisions, whether it’s the Ukraine-Russia war, the India-Pakistan conflict, or the Syria-Israel war, peace and diplomacy are the words he swears by.
Donald Trump’s trip to the Middle East will mark his first extended international travel, which will also include the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
