The Syrian President, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, has arrived in the US for an official visit that includes a planned meeting with President Donald Trump, reported the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
Al-Sharaa’s visit is the first by a Syrian president since the country’s independence in 1946, according to analysts cited by AFP.
The Syrian President will hold talks with Trump at the White House on Monday, November 10. Earlier this month, the US Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, expressed hope that Al-Sharaa would sign an agreement to join the international US-led coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS).
Ahead of Al-Sharaa’s visit, the US removed his name from the “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” list. The move followed a similar one by the UN Security Council.
In the light of this, the US State Department spokesman, Tommy Pigott, said that the move is the result of progress made by the Syrian government in meeting US demands, including cooperation in finding missing Americans and eliminating the remaining chemical weapons.
“These actions are being taken in recognition of the progress demonstrated by the Syrian leadership after the departure of Bashar al-Assad,” Pigott said, adding that this move would promote “regional security and stability as well as an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process.”
Upon his arrival in the US, Al-Sharaa posted a video of him and his Foreign Minister, Asaad Al-Shaibani, playing basketball with CENTCOM Commander, Brad Cooper, and the head of the international anti-ISIS operation in Iraq, Kevin Lambert, with the caption “work hard, play harder.”
WILD 🔴
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa was seen shooting hoops alongside senior U.S. military figures, among them CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper. pic.twitter.com/2KkLVE04hx
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 8, 2025
In September, Al-Sharaa landed in New York, becoming the first Syrian President to address the UN General Assembly in decades. He also met with Trump in May, during the US President’s visit to Riyadh.
