Trump to host al-Sharaa in first-ever visit by a Syrian president to White House, official says

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida — President Donald Trump will host Ahmad al-Sharaa for talks, marking the first-ever visit by a Syrian president to the White House, an administration official said Saturday.

The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the engagement which has not yet been officially announced, said the meeting is expected to take place on November 10.

Trump met with al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia in May, in what was the first meeting between the leaders of the two countries in 25 years. Syria continues to struggle to emerge from decades of international isolation.

The meeting, on the sidelines of Trump’s meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, was seen as a major turning point for a Syria that is still adjusting to life after more than 50 years of Assad family rule.

Al-Sharaa has already received a US$10 million bounty for his head.

Under the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa had ties to al-Qaida and joined insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq before entering the war in Syria. He was even imprisoned there by American troops for several years.

Al-Sharaa is expected during his visit to sign an agreement to join the US-led coalition against ISIS, the official said.

At the May meeting, Al-Sharaa became the first Syrian leader to meet with a US president since Hafez Assad met with Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.

The visit comes as Trump urges his Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build lasting peace in the volatile region after Israel and Hamas began implementing a ceasefire and hostage deal earlier this month. This agreement aims to permanently end the brutal two-year war in Gaza.

The fragile ceasefire and hostage agreement continue to hold, but the situation remains precarious.

Israeli strikes in Gaza earlier this week killed 104 people, including dozens of women and children, health authorities in the enclave said.

These strikes, the deadliest since the start of the ceasefire on October 10, constitute the most serious challenge to the fragile truce to date.

The strikes took place Tuesday evening after Israel accused Hamas of killing a soldier and organizing the discovery of a dead hostage.

News of the planned meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa was first reported by Axios.