US President Donald Trump revealed that the lifting of sanctions on Syria came at the request of Turkey, Israel, and other countries.
In response to a reporter's question during a dinner with Central Asian leaders at the White House about whether he would discuss the Abraham Accords with the Syrian president, Trump said, "We will meet," adding that al-Sharaa "is doing a good job."
He added, "It's a tough area, and he's a tough guy, but I got along well with him, and a lot of progress has been made with Syria. It's a tough area, but a lot of progress has been made."
Trump reiterated the lifting of sanctions on Syria, revealing that this step came "actually at the request of Israel."
He explained, "We lifted the sanctions at the request of Turkey, and at the request of Israel and some other countries," in order to "give them a chance."
On November 3, 2025, Trump said he "might" meet with Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, while simultaneously affirming that the Syrian president "is doing a very good job."
On Saturday, November 1, 2025, US Special Envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, announced that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa would visit Washington this month to sign an agreement for his country to join the US-led international coalition against ISIS.
According to US media, the visit will take place on November 10.
This will be the Syrian president's first visit to the US capital and his second to the United States overall, following his participation in the UN General Assembly in September.
Al-Sharaa met with US President Donald Trump in Riyadh last May during a visit described as historic, during which Trump pledged to lift sanctions imposed on Syria.
On Thursday, the UN Security Council voted in favor of a US-drafted resolution to lift sanctions on Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa ahead of his anticipated visit to the White House next week.
Trump: Sanctions lifted on Syria at the request of Türkiye and Israel
