By Noureddine Omar | 2025-11-15

The meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump in Washington is considered the most important political and strategic step taken by Syria's new administration since the fall of the previous regime, analysts told Al-Fassel.

In a historic first, President Trump welcomed Syrian President al-Sharaa to the White House. This visit, following their meeting in Saudi Arabia six months earlier, took place just days after Washington lifted the specially designated global terrorist status for a former leader of an al-Qaeda affiliate.

Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa confirmed after the meeting that Syria signed a declaration of political cooperation to join the international coalition's efforts to defeat the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

Coinciding with the meeting, the US Treasury Department announced a partial, 180-day suspension of sanctions that had been imposed on Syria under the Caesar Act.

Syria joins US-led coalition against ISIS

"Al-Sharaa's meeting with the US President is projected to bring positive outcomes for Syria and the Syrian people. By joining the US-led coalition, Syria will effectively deliver the final blow to ISIS," political analyst Abdul Nabi Bakkar told Al-Fassel.

He noted that this cooperation will establish "security and stability in Syria for years to come, which is what the Syrian people primarily desire."

According to Bakkar, the Syrian people are focused on achieving a de-escalation of the security situation, placing particular emphasis on the role of the international coalition allies who successfully contributed to the downfall of the so-called ISIS state.

Sanctions relief

The key to reviving the Syrian economy and increasing Syrian purchasing power lies in the new political path.

"This path is necessary to overcome the legacy of the previous regime, whose policies triggered intense economic sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act," Mahmoud Mustafa, an economic expert and professor at Damascus University told Al-Fassel.

Following the positive visit and the temporary suspension of the Caesar Act by the Treasury Department, he indicated that the subsequent goal is to push through US legal and legislative avenues for the full removal of sanctions and the cessation of the law's implementation.

"Lifting the sanctions on Syria is expected to facilitate the influx of funds for investments and new companies, thereby providing thousands of jobs and improving the severely lacking purchasing power of the Syrian people," Mustafa said.

"The next phase of recovery will focus on securing the necessary funds to rebuild war-torn areas, a cost estimated to exceed $200 billion," he added.

Syria's cooperation with the US, under al-Sharaa, is key to achieving complete stability by strengthening the campaign to eliminate terrorism and pursue ISIS remnants.