U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday, marking a major diplomatic milestone in U.S.–Syrian relations, the White House announced Tuesday.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the meeting during a press briefing, calling it “a continuation of the administration’s efforts to build peace and stability in the Middle East.”

“When the President was in the region, he made the historic decision to lift sanctions on Syria to give them a real chance at peace,” Leavitt said. “We’ve seen good progress under Syria’s new leadership, and this visit reflects that progress.”

According to Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, the agenda for the talks includes discussions on lifting the remaining U.S. sanctions, post-war reconstruction, and counter-terrorism cooperation. “President al-Sharaa’s visit marks a new chapter in Syria’s relations with the United States,” al-Shaibani said on Sunday.

U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack told reporters that Washington hopes the visit will pave the way for Syria’s formal participation in the U.S.-led international coalition against ISIS, signaling a significant step toward regional realignment. “We are hopeful that this trip will result in an agreement to strengthen cooperation against extremist threats,” Barrack said.

Though it will be President al-Sharaa’s first official visit to Washington, it follows his landmark appearance at the United Nations in New York in September, where he became the first Syrian leader in decades to address the UN General Assembly.

Al-Sharaa, who emerged as Syria’s president following the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad late last year, first met Trump in Riyadh in May during a regional summit. That meeting led to the U.S. announcing its decision to lift broad economic sanctions on Damascus — a move widely viewed as the beginning of a new diplomatic chapter between the two nations.

The upcoming White House meeting is expected to focus on rebuilding Syria’s war-torn economy, securing regional stability, and defining the framework for renewed U.S.-Syrian cooperation after more than a decade of estrangement.

If the talks succeed, officials say the meeting could represent one of the most significant breakthroughs in Middle Eastern diplomacy in recent years, potentially reshaping Washington’s engagement with Damascus and the broader region. (ILKHA)