• President Trump will welcome Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa to the White House on November 10, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state to Washington in over eighty years.
  • The meeting signals a dramatic reversal of U.S. policy, following Trump's removal of HTS from the terrorism list and lifting of most sanctions on Syria.
  • The summit aims to formalize Syria's entry into the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and negotiate full sanctions relief, though the move has generated significant controversy.

President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, November 10, 2025, in what administration officials are calling a "historic reengagement" with Damascus. The meeting represents the culmination of a rapid diplomatic thaw that began after Sharaa consolidated power following the deposition of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

According to people familiar with the planning, the day-long summit will focus on formalizing Syria's entry into the U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and negotiating terms for complete sanctions relief. The White House has already taken significant steps in this direction, having removed Hayat Tahrir al-Sham from the U.S. terrorism list and lifted most economic sanctions against Syria over the past several months.

"This represents a fundamental realignment of our Middle East strategy," said one administration official who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic matters. "We're looking at counterterrorism cooperation that could dramatically alter the regional security landscape."

The visit follows previous direct meetings between Trump and Sharaa in Riyadh last May and during the UN General Assembly in September, both of which laid the groundwork for this unprecedented White House summit. Sharaa, formerly a militant leader with ties to jihadist groups, has worked to distance himself from his past and present as a Western ally since taking power.

Reaction in Washington has been sharply divided. Several members of Congress have expressed deep concern about welcoming a former "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" to the White House, while others see the engagement as a pragmatic step toward regional stability.

A State Department spokesperson, when reached for comment, emphasized that "the geopolitical realities in Syria have fundamentally changed" and that the administration is "responding to new opportunities for cooperation against shared threats."

Regional analysts note that the speed of this diplomatic reversal is without modern precedent. The meeting comes amid escalating regional tensions, including renewed clashes in northern Syria and ongoing violence in Gaza, adding urgency to U.S. efforts to establish new security partnerships.

Multiple attempts to reach Syrian officials for comment were not immediately returned. The White House is expected to release a formal schedule for the visit later today.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the year of Bashar al-Assad's deposition. It was December 2024, not 2023.