Syrian President Ahmed Al Shara, who leads the jihadist entity Hayat Tahri al-Sham (HTS), allegedly offered oil and gas concessions along with a prospective Trump Tower in Israel as part of a strategy to engage with President Donald Trump during his visit this week.
In a report, Jonathan Bass, who heads the Louisiana-based natural gas company Argent LNG and is a notable Trump supporter, journeyed to Damascus last week to confer with Shara about proposals from Western firms aimed at developing Syria’s oil resources.
At the meeting, Bass and Shara, along with other Syrian leaders, seemed to express a consensus on his suggestions. However, they stressed the necessity of normalizing relations with the government before any U.S. deals could materialize.
This task won’t be easy, considering Shara and HTS share roots with Al-Qaeda. HTS is attempting to reinvent itself as a Syrian nationalist group aimed at ousting Syrian president Bashar Assad rather than being linked to terrorism. In a symbolic gesture, Shara swapped his military attire for a business suit, revealing his aim for a more inclusive style of governance that respects the rights of various ethnic and religious groups.
The reluctance from Western governments to ease sanctions on Syria and accommodate a regime led by former Al-Qaeda affiliates is notable.
Shara clearly desires to facilitate a meeting with Trump to encourage other Western nations to follow suit. He aims to persuade the international community to invest in rebuilding Syria and address the severe humanitarian issues stemming from the long-standing civil war.
“Shara is looking for business opportunities to secure the future of his country. He expressed interest in establishing a Trump Tower in Damascus and achieving peace with neighboring states,” a source mentioned.
There’s also speculation that Shara might assist the Trump administration in discussions with Iran, which has historically been a major supporter of Assad’s regime, complicating relations with regional military entities like Hezbollah.
Trump indicated on Monday that his administration is preparing for a “fresh start” and would need to make decisions regarding sanctions.
“Many people have been inquiring about this, and we haven’t had a great beginning in how we approach them, so we’re exploring ways to assist,” he remarked.
However, during his travels to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, there were few signs that Shara’s hopes of a face-to-face meeting with Trump would come to fruition. Although rumors suggest a high-level U.S.-Syrian conference may be in the works, Trump himself seems unlikely to be directly involved.
The primary hurdle in U.S.-Syrian relations was brought to light in the discussions with Foreign Minister Assad al-Shabani. During a meeting with State Department officials in late April, there were hopes that foreign jihadists would steer clear from the new Syrian government. The U.S. also aims to oversee the dismantling of Syrian chemical weapons and sustain a counterterrorism base.
“We will continue to assess Syrian policies closely and will evaluate the interim authorities based on their actions. Currently, we have not established diplomatic relations with Syria,” a State Department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, stated two weeks after Shabani’s visit to New York.
On Sunday, Shara also spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman from Saudi Arabia. His office indicated that MBS reiterated the kingdom’s commitment to enhancing Syria’s security and stability while pursuing political solutions for the country’s unity and contributing to reconstruction efforts. It remains unclear whether Shara received an invitation to visit Saudi Arabia during Trump’s Middle East tour.
