Syria’s Al-Sharaa Seeks Sanctions Relief, Reconstruction Aid in Historic US Visit
Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa will visit the US in early November, Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani announced on Sunday, becoming the first Syrian leader ever to pay an official visit to the White House. This historic meeting will primarily focus on securing the lifting of remaining sanctions, initiating vital national reconstruction efforts, and coordinating crucial counter-terrorism strategies against the Islamic State group.
The foreign ministry in Damascus explicitly confirmed the trip marks a major diplomatic milestone for the country.
Sanctions, Counter-Terrorism, and Reconstruction
Al-Shaibani confirmed the itinerary during a high-profile panel at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, clearly stating to the press that “This visit is certainly historic.” Discussions will certainly begin with the crucial topic of sanctions removal, “Many topics will be discussed, starting with the lifting of sanctions,” Al-Shibani explained.
Furthermore, Al-Shaibani stressed the necessity of global collaborative security when discussing the ongoing fight: “Today we are fighting (the Islamic State) any effort in this regard requires international support.” The meetings will also address comprehensive reconstruction after more than a grueling decade of devastating internal conflict and warfare. Significantly, US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack previously expressed hope that Al-Sharaa traveled to Washington “hopefully” to sign an agreement joining the international US-led alliance against IS.
Rejecting Normalization, Seeking Security
Despite the positive trajectory of the US visit, Syrian officials immediately dismissed any speculation about normalizing relations with the state of Israel. When addressing the Abraham Accords specifically, Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani unequivocally stated that this important issue “is not being considered and has not been discussed.”
Nevertheless, Syria and Israel opened direct negotiations last December after Islamist forces successfully toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad. In a potential breakthrough, a Syrian official told AFP earlier this year that Syria expects to finalize important security and military agreements in 2025.
Al-Shaibani further explained that current negotiations only focus on reaching a key security agreement that completely avoids undermining the existing 1974 ceasefire agreement. He also stressed that this process must never “legitimise any new reality that Israel might impose in the south.” Recently, Israel has deployed numerous troops into the crucial UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two hostile forces, concurrently launching hundreds of military strikes in Syrian territory, though Damascus has not retaliated.
Al-Shaibani confidently concluded, “We do not want Syria to enter a new war, and Syria is not currently in a position to threaten any party, including Israel.”
The visit marks President Al-Sharaa’s second trip to the US, following his landmark September UN visit where the former jihadist addressed the General Assembly in New York. The interim leader met US President Donald Trump for the first time in Riyadh last May, resulting in Trump’s public vow to lift economic sanctions on the war-torn nation.
