Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa touched down in Washington on Saturday for his first official American visit, where he will join discussions with President Donald Trump on Monday about enlisting Damascus in the battle against ISIL. The historic trip marks the initial visit by a Syrian head of state since independence in 1946 and follows al-Sharaa's removal from American terrorist sanctions lists on Friday. Washington seeks to formalize Syrian participation in its anti-ISIL coalition and reportedly plans to station forces at a Damascus airbase to support Israeli-Syrian security arrangements, though Syria has disputed these claims.
Al-Sharaa, whose forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, aims to secure reconstruction funding for a nation requiring at least 216 billion dollars to recover from 13 years of conflict, according to World Bank estimates. Syrian authorities announced sweeping counterterrorism raids on Saturday, with interior ministry officials reporting 71 arrests and weapons seizures across multiple provinces during operations targeting ISIL networks.
Al-Sharaa, whose forces toppled Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, aims to secure reconstruction funding for a nation requiring at least 216 billion dollars to recover from 13 years of conflict, according to World Bank estimates. Syrian authorities announced sweeping counterterrorism raids on Saturday, with interior ministry officials reporting 71 arrests and weapons seizures across multiple provinces during operations targeting ISIL networks.
