Syrian Leader Wins More Sanctions Relief After Meeting Trump

Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa became the first Syrian president — and first leader in decades — to visit the White House Monday, securing relief on long-held sanctions against the country and marking a political transformation for the former jihadist. Bloomberg's Michelle Jamrisko reports.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa secured additional sanctions relief and pledged to join a US-led coalition to defeat the Islamic State as he met with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

The Treasury Department announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had suspended comprehensive sanctions on Syria for 180 days as of Monday, when Sharaa met with Trump at the White House. Earlier, a US official confirmed that Syria had agreed to join the fight against the Islamic State, detailing plans on condition of anonymity ahead of a formal announcement.

Sharaa’s visit capped a remarkable diplomatic transformation for a former jihadist who just one year ago had a $10 million US bounty on his head. It also marked the first time a Syrian president has visited the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.

His rapid rehabilitation from designated terrorist to White House guest reflects the Trump administration’s strategic pivot toward engaging with the new government in Damascus and Sharaa’s efforts to court international support as he looks to rebuild a country shattered by a brutal civil war.

Rubio’s move bolsters US efforts to stabilize the new government in Syria as it looks to rebuild the war-torn nation. The six-month relief from sanctions under the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, however, is only a temporary measure. The law, which targets the country’s energy, construction and finance sectors, can only be repealed by Congress, with efforts to do so on Capitol Hill underway.

The sanctions relief and counterterrorism cooperation herald improving ties between Washington and Damascus. The US sees its support for Sharaa as essential to reducing Iran’s influence in the country and preventing the Islamic State from reorganizing, according to Tom Barrack, Washington’s special envoy for Syria.

Trump also is pressuring Syria and other nations in the region to sign onto his first-term Abraham Accords, which helped normalize relations between Israel and several other countries. Those efforts — a diplomatic priority for Trump — had been set back by the Israel-Hamas war.

The agreement to join the anti-Islamic State coalition builds on Sharaa’s vision outlined in his United Nations address in September to transform Damascus from an “exporter of crisis to an opportunity for peace for Syria and the region.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported on Syria joining the coalition.

Syria’s interior ministry said on Saturday it carried out a campaign targeting “terrorist” cells affiliated with the Islamic State in a number of provinces, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency. Two days later, security forces arrested three people linked to the Islamic State and seized an ammunition depot in Hama province, the state-run Sana reported.

Courting Support

Monday’s visit highlights how the Syrian leader has sought to build international support to help rebuild his country. Sharaa once led an affiliate of al-Qaeda and was designated a terrorist by the US in 2013. He renounced his allegiance to al-Qaeda in 2016. Sharaa seized power from Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, ending more than 50 years of rule by the Syrian strongman’s family.

Trump first met Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, describing him at the time as “tough guy” with a “strong past.” The US president during his trip to the Middle East this year said he would lift sanctions on Syria, claiming he wanted to give the country “a chance at greatness.” In June, Trump signed an executive order dismantling sanctions against Damascus and the Treasury Department removed 518 Syrian individuals and entities from its sanctions list.

--------

Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube

Weekdays 7am-6pm ET

Follow us on X

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak

Bloomberg Surveillance

Bloomberg Intelligence

Balance of Power

Bloomberg Businessweek

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

Visit our YouTube channels:

Bloomberg Podcasts

Bloomberg Television

Bloomberg Originals