Syria’s President Ahmed Al-Sharaa to visit Washington on November 10, join coalition against ISIS

Washington, D.C. — In a historic diplomatic breakthrough, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa is set to visit Washington on November 10, marking the first visit by a Syrian head of state to the United States since Syria’s independence in 1946, according to Tom Barrack, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey (@USAMBTurkiye).

During the visit, Syria is expected to formally join the international coalition to fight ISIS, signaling a major shift in regional alliances and a potential thaw in long-frozen U.S.-Syria relations.

President Al-Sharaa reportedly met with former U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh on May 14, paving the way for renewed diplomatic engagement between Washington and Damascus.

Historically, U.S.-Syria relations have seen limited high-level contact. Former U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon visited Damascus in 1974, and Bill Clinton followed in 1994. Syrian leaders have also engaged with American presidents in neutral venues: Hafez al-Assad met George H.W. Bush in Geneva in 1991, and Bashar al-Assad met Bill Clinton in 2000.

In addition to the Washington visit, diplomatic sources indicate that five rounds of negotiations have recently been held between Syria and Israel, focusing on border security and regional stability. An agreement on security arrangements between the two countries is reportedly expected before the end of the year, raising hopes for a new phase of Middle East diplomacy.

The upcoming visit underscores shifting dynamics in the region, as Washington and its allies seek to consolidate efforts against extremist threats while exploring paths toward long-term peace and cooperation in the Middle East.