Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – President Trump is set to meet with interim Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa on Wednesday, despite Al-Sharaa’s recent position as a wanted al-Qaeda leader with a bounty of $10 million on his head.
A White House official confirmed that the president will welcome the Syrian leader during his visit to Saudi Arabia.
At 42, Al-Sharaa previously engaged in combat against U.S. forces as part of al-Qaeda in Iraq during the early 2000s. He later established the Al-Nusra Front in 2012 to oppose Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, only to sever ties with al-Qaeda four years later.
Following a protracted stalemate, Al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohamad al-Jolani, played a crucial role in Assad’s decline last December and attempted to reshape his image as a proponent of religious diversity in Syria.
The Biden administration rescinded the $10 million reward for information on Al-Sharaa later that same month, creating some uncertainty regarding his status.
Trump recently commended Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for his swift military actions and mentioned the possibility of lifting longstanding U.S. sanctions on Syria at Ankara’s request.
“We will need to consider our stance on sanctions. It’s possible we could remove them to offer a fresh start. President Erdogan and many others have inquired about this,” Trump stated.
