Overview
- The White House said President Donald Trump will host Ahmed al‑Sharaa on Monday, the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the White House.
- The United States circulated a draft U.N. Security Council resolution to lift sanctions on al‑Sharaa and Interior Minister Anas Hasan Khattab, with a vote possibly as soon as Thursday, according to reporting.
- U.N. travel exemptions granted to al‑Sharaa this year suggest the trip can proceed even if the Security Council does not adopt the resolution beforehand.
- U.S. and Syrian officials say the meeting will focus on post‑war reconstruction and easing restrictions, though key congressional sanctions such as the Caesar Act remain in force.
- Reporting indicates Syria is expected to join the U.S.-led anti‑ISIS coalition during the visit, while al‑Sharaa’s past leadership of HTS and a U.N. finding of no active ties to al‑Qaeda this year frame the controversy and context.