Sharaa, a former militant commander with ties to Al-Qaeda who was once blacklisted by the US government, toppled Syria’s longtime leader Bashar Assad in December 2024. He has since pledged to rebuild the war-torn country and protect its ethnic and religious minorities.

“He is a very strong leader. He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him,” Trump told journalists in the Oval Office.

“We want to see Syria become a country that’s very successful, and we think this leader can do it,” he added.

Trump later wrote on his Truth Social platform: “It was an Honor to spend time with Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the new President of Syria, where we discussed all the intricacies of PEACE in the Middle East, of which he is a major advocate.”

He added: “Having a stable and successful Syria is very important to all countries in the Region.”

Despite al-Sharaa’s pledges to build an inclusive society, his rule has been marred by waves of sectarian violence against Druze and Christian communities, drawing condemnation from the US.

Just days before the visit, the US, along with the UK and the UN, removed al-Sharaa from their respective terrorist lists. On Monday, Washington extended the suspension of sanctions for another 180 days, as Syria seeks to normalize bilateral ties and expand security cooperation.

American media outlets reported that Syria would officially join the US-led coalition to fight Islamic State (IS). The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday that US, Syrian, and Turkish diplomats had agreed on a plan to integrate the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) into the Syrian Army. The SDF has controlled large parts of the north and east of the country since the mid-2010s.

Washington announced the decision in a tri-seal advisory issued jointly by the Treasury Department and the Departments of State and Commerce. The document listed the restrictions lifted from Syria and provided guidelines for companies seeking to do business with the Middle Eastern state.

According to the advisory, Secretary of State Marco Rubio extended the May waiver suspending sanctions under the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act for another six months. The law imposed wide-ranging restrictions on individuals, companies, and institutions linked to former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and effectively barred any foreign companies from engaging in the nation’s reconstruction under threat of secondary sanctions.

Under the waiver, companies are allowed to transfer most basic civilian goods of US origin, as well as software and technology, to or within Syria without a license. Permission from Washington is still needed, however, to trade in items listed on the Commerce Control List, the document said.

The waiver does not cover “transactions involving the governments of Russia and Iran, or the transfer of provisions of Russian-origin or Iranian-origin goods, technology, software, funds, financing, or services,” the advisory said.

The measures were part of Trump’s commitment to give Syria “a chance at greatness,” the document stated. Relations between Washington and Damascus started to thaw after the ousting of Assad’s government late last year.

Al-Sharaa, who rose to power following the fall of Assad, had previously led the militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which had evolved from a former Al-Qaeda offshoot. His visit to Washington on Monday marked his second meeting with Trump in recent months.

Just days before the visit, the US, as well as the UK and UN, removed Al-Sharaa from their respective terrorist lists.