Trump meets, poses with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who had links to Al Qaeda
Photos posted on Saudi state television showed Trump and Sharaa shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
- May 15, 2025,
- Updated May 15, 2025 11:23 AM IST
US President Donald Trump met and posed with the Syrian president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. It is not only the meeting per se, where he urged the president to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel, that caught everyone’s eye but it was who he met that raised some eyebrows.
Trump met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who swept to power at the head of a group that Washington has called a terrorist organisation and once pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda.
The meeting between both the leaders has been seen and understood as a potential shift in US’ foreign policy. Trump, in a surprise announcement, also said that all long-standing sanctions on Syria would be lifted.
Trump told reporters that Sharaa said he would be willing to eventually join the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered 2020 agreement that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalise relations with Israel.
"I told him, 'I hope you’re going to join when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said. He described Sharaa as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, and that the meeting went “great”. "He's got a real shot at holding it together," said Trump.
Photos posted on Saudi state television showed the two men shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Meanwhile, Trump's recent trip to the Middle East that did not include a visit to Jerusalem, has raised questions in Israel about its position in Washington's priorities.
Syria remains one of Israel's main adversaries. Israeli officials continue to label Sharaa as a jihadist, despite his severing ties with Al Qaeda in 2016. Sharaa had joined the group in Iraq, where he spent five years in a US prison. In December, the United States removed a $10 million bounty on his head.
Israel opposes lifting sanctions on Syria, which would allow increased activity by humanitarian organisations and encourage foreign investment. Since Sharaa came to power after toppling former President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has intensified military strikes in Syria.
The Trump administration is also engaged in nuclear talks with Iran, another adversary of Israel. The Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment on these developments.
Trump told reporters that his relationships with countries in the Middle East are "very good for Israel." His efforts to lift sanctions and include Syria in the Abraham Accords could help isolate Syria's former allies, Iran and Russia, as the new government seeks diplomatic and financial ties with the region and the West.
Moreover, Qatar, during Trump’s visit, offered to donate a Boeing jet to serve as the US president's official airplane, after the signing of a deal for the Gulf Arab country to buy jets from US manufacturer Boeing. This offer, and the subsequent acceptance, has raised concerns about a conflict of interest between Trump's official duties as president and his business interests. Trump dismissed ethical concerns about his plan to accept the $400 million luxury plane and said it would be "stupid" to turn down the generous offer.
(With Reuters inputs)
US President Donald Trump met and posed with the Syrian president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday. It is not only the meeting per se, where he urged the president to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel, that caught everyone’s eye but it was who he met that raised some eyebrows.
Trump met with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who swept to power at the head of a group that Washington has called a terrorist organisation and once pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda.
The meeting between both the leaders has been seen and understood as a potential shift in US’ foreign policy. Trump, in a surprise announcement, also said that all long-standing sanctions on Syria would be lifted.
Trump told reporters that Sharaa said he would be willing to eventually join the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered 2020 agreement that saw the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco normalise relations with Israel.
"I told him, 'I hope you’re going to join when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said. He described Sharaa as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, and that the meeting went “great”. "He's got a real shot at holding it together," said Trump.
Photos posted on Saudi state television showed the two men shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Meanwhile, Trump's recent trip to the Middle East that did not include a visit to Jerusalem, has raised questions in Israel about its position in Washington's priorities.
Syria remains one of Israel's main adversaries. Israeli officials continue to label Sharaa as a jihadist, despite his severing ties with Al Qaeda in 2016. Sharaa had joined the group in Iraq, where he spent five years in a US prison. In December, the United States removed a $10 million bounty on his head.
Israel opposes lifting sanctions on Syria, which would allow increased activity by humanitarian organisations and encourage foreign investment. Since Sharaa came to power after toppling former President Bashar al-Assad in December, Israel has intensified military strikes in Syria.
The Trump administration is also engaged in nuclear talks with Iran, another adversary of Israel. The Israeli prime minister's office did not respond to requests for comment on these developments.
Trump told reporters that his relationships with countries in the Middle East are "very good for Israel." His efforts to lift sanctions and include Syria in the Abraham Accords could help isolate Syria's former allies, Iran and Russia, as the new government seeks diplomatic and financial ties with the region and the West.
Moreover, Qatar, during Trump’s visit, offered to donate a Boeing jet to serve as the US president's official airplane, after the signing of a deal for the Gulf Arab country to buy jets from US manufacturer Boeing. This offer, and the subsequent acceptance, has raised concerns about a conflict of interest between Trump's official duties as president and his business interests. Trump dismissed ethical concerns about his plan to accept the $400 million luxury plane and said it would be "stupid" to turn down the generous offer.
(With Reuters inputs)