Syria’s president, ‘global terrorist,’ to make historic visit to White House

President Ahmed al-Sharaa is reportedly set to meet with President Donald Trump in the White House, becoming the first Syrian head of government to set foot in Washington.

By World Israel News Staff

Syria’s president is scheduled to visit the White House next week, according to multiple reports published over the weekend.

President Ahmed al-Sharaa will meet with President Donald Trump in the White House on November 10, according to reports that cited an American official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ahmed al‑Sharaa (also known by his nom de guerre “Abu Mohammad al-Julani”) rose from his early years as a jihadist commander to become president of Syria in 2025.

He led the rebel-group Hay’at Tahrir al‑Sham (HTS), formerly affiliated with Al Qaeda, and was designated a “global terrorist” by the United States, with a bounty reportedly placed on his head.

Since taking office, al-Sharaa has sought to rebrand his image, speaking of reforming Syria’s institutions and pursuing regional diplomacy.

But his past remains a major sticking point: HTS is still listed as a terrorist organization by the EU and others, and many observers worry about accountability, the inclusion of minority communities, and the future of civil-governance under a leader whose roots lie in militant Islamism.

There has been no official confirmation thus far from either Damascus or the Trump administration regarding the planned meeting with President Trump.

However, US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, who also serves as the Trump administration’s envoy to Damascus, said on Saturday during a conference in Manama, Bahrain, that al-Sharaa would likely be visiting Washington next week.

The visit comes amid efforts by the US, led by Barrack, to bring Syria into an international coalition against the ISIS terror organization.

“We are trying to get everybody to be a partner in this alliance, which is huge for them,” Barrack said of Syrian inclusion in the alliance.

Al-Sharaa visited the United States for the first time in September, when he arrived in New York for the United Nations General Assembly’s High-Level Week.

The planned visit to the White House next week will mark the second meeting between al-Sharaa and President Trump.

The two leaders first met in Saudi Arabia in May.

President Trump has lifted sanctions on Syria, while his administration has encouraged Damascus to join the Abraham Accords with an agreement recognizing Israel.

Barrack has helped to broker talks between the two sides in recent months, though the two countries are reportedly currently considering a more limited security agreement, rather than a full peace deal.