President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 14.Saudi Royal Palace/The Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a face-to-face engagement with the onetime insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by U.S. forces after being captured in Iraq. Mr. Trump agreed to meet Mr. al-Sharaa at the end of his stay in Saudi Arabia.
Mr. Al-Sharaa was named President of Syria in January, a month after a stunning offensive by insurgent groups led by Mr. al-Sharaa‘s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, stormed Damascus and ended the 54-year rule of the Assad family.
Mr. Trump said he decided to meet with Mr. al-Sharaa after being encouraged to do so by Saudi Arabia‘s Prince Mohammed and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. He also pledged to lift years-long sanctions on Syria.
Mr. Trump told reporters that the meeting with Mr. al-Sharaa went “great” and described him as a “young, attractive guy” with a “very strong past.”
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Mr. Trump said.
Prince Mohammed joined Mr. Trump and Mr. al-Sharaa for the meeting, which lasted 33 minutes. Mr. Erdogan took part via video conference.
Formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, Mr. al-Sharaa joined the ranks of al-Qaeda insurgents battling U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.S.-led invasion. He still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. The U.S. once offered US$10-million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al-Qaeda.
Mr. Al-Sharaa returned to his home country of Syria after the conflict began in 2011 and led al-Qaeda‘s branch called the Nusra Front. He changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and cut links with al-Qaeda.
The sanctions go back to the rule of Bashar Assad, who was ousted in December, and were intended to inflict major pain on his economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump makes a speech as Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al Thani listens during a state dinner at the Lusail Palace, on May 14, in Doha, Qatar.Win McNamee/Getty Images
The President also said Wednesday he urgently wants “to make a deal” with Iran to wind down its nuclear program, but Tehran must end its support of proxy groups throughout the Mideast as part of any potential agreement.
Mr. Trump, who is in the midst of a three-country visit to the region, also discussed Iran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program in one-on-one talks with Qatar’s emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The American President expressed measured confidence that the U.S. effort with Tehran would “work out one way or another.”
But in comments earlier in the day, at a Gulf Cooperation Council meeting hosted by Saudi Arabia‘s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Mr. Trump made clear he expected Tehran to end its role as the chief financial backer of the militant groups.
Iran “must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons,” Mr. Trump told the GCC leaders. “They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Mr. Al Thani did not directly address the Iran issue after his session with Mr. Trump in Doha. But the emir said U.S.-Qatar co-operation on a broad range of issues was lifting their partnership to “another level of relations.”
The two leaders, and others from their respective delegations, signed a series of agreements, including one between U.S. aircraft company Boeing and Qatar Airways. The White House said the deal was worth US$96-billion.
The U.S. and Iran have engaged in four rounds of talks since early last month, and Mr. Trump has said he believes brokering a nuclear deal is possible but that the window is closing.
The Republican President’s latest push on Iran to cease support of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen come as that proxy network has faced significant setbacks in the 19 months since Hamas launched its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
In Iran, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Mr. Trump’s remarks “deceitful” but did not directly address Mr. Trump’s demand.
Mr. Trump said that he also believed the moment was ripe “for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists.” Hezbollah is severely weakened after its war last year with Israel in which much of its top leadership was killed, and after losing a key ally with the fall of former Syrian president Mr. Assad, a conduit for Iran to send arms.
In Qatar, Mr. Trump was greeted at the airport by Mr. Al Thani. Air Force One was escorted by Qatari F-15 jets as it neared Doha, the capital city.
As he sat down for talks at Amiri Diwan, the administrative office of the emir, Mr. Trump told the Qatari leader he was impressed with the “perfecto” marble as well as the camels that took part in the arrival ceremony.
Mr. Al Thani said he had high hopes for Mr. Trump’s efforts with Iran and at ending the war in Gaza.
“I know that you are a man of peace,” said Mr. Al Thani, who later on Wednesday was to honour Mr. Trump with a state dinner. “I know that you want to bring peace to this region.”
Mr. Trump will head to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for the final stop of his Mideast tour.
Qatar, like the other Gulf Arab states, is an autocratic nation where political parties are banned and speech is tightly controlled. The country has also played a central role in pay-to-play-style scandals around the globe.
In Israel, authorities are investigating allegations that Qatar hired close advisers to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to launch public relations campaigns to improve the Gulf nation’s image among Israelis.
Two European Union lawmakers were accused of taking money from Doha in a scandal known as “Qatar-gate.” U.S. prosecutors in 2020 accused Qatar of bribing FIFA executive committee members to secure the tournament in the country in 2022.
In 2024, RTX Corp., the defence contractor formerly known as Raytheon, agreed to pay more than US$950-million to resolve allegations that it defrauded the U.S. government and paid bribes to secure business with Qatar. Doha always has denied wrongdoing.
But Qatar has also served as valuable partner to the U.S. Qatar is also home to Al-Udeid Air Base, a sprawling facility that hosts the forward headquarters of the U.S. military’s Central Command.
It’s a key mediator, particularly with Hamas.
The oil-and-gas rich country is also in the centre of a controversy over its offer to provide Mr. Trump with the gift of a luxury Boeing 747-8 that the U.S. could use as Air Force One while new versions of the plane are under construction by Boeing.
The Qatari government has said a final decision hasn’t been made. Mr. Trump has defended the idea even as critics argue it would amount to a president accepting an astonishingly valuable gift from a foreign government.
Mr. Trump has indicated he would refurbish the aircraft and it would later be donated to his post-White House presidential library. He says he would not use the plane once he leaves office.