President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa one day after lifting sanctions against the nation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday that the newly elected al-Sharaa agreed to sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel, tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria, deport Palestinian terrorists, help the United States prevent the resurgence of ISIS, and assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria.
The meeting came at the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. President Trump also stated that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan also played a role in President Trump's decision.
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"The reason I did it is because I spoke with President Erdogan, we get along very well, and I spoke to Mohammed, as you know, and they thought it was very important to do," he said. "It gives them a much better chance of survival as a country."
Diplomatic relations between the United States and Syria were suspended in 2011. Both the first Trump administration and the Biden administration maintained sanctions on Syria and President Bashar al-Assad.
However, after al-Assad was ousted from government in late 2024, al-Sharaa expressed a desire to open relations with the U.S.
President Trump described his meeting with al-Sharaa as "great."
"I think he's a very good young, attractive guy, a tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past," he said about al-Sharaa. "He's a fighter, but he's got a real shot at pulling it together."
