Syrian Leader to Visit White House, Join Coalition

President Donald Trump will host Syrian interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House on Nov. 10; U.S. officials say it would be the first Syrian presidential visit to Washington. Al-Sharaa seized power from Bashar al-Assad last December and has been seeking to restore ties after decades of isolation. The visit is expected to include al-Sharaa signing an agreement to join the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, and comes as Washington mediates de‑escalation talks between Syria and Israel. Syrian officials say discussions could also cover lifting sanctions and building a stronger bilateral partnership. Al-Sharaa's past—he once led a Syrian offshoot of al‑Qaeda, fought ISIS, and previously had a reported $10 million U.S. bounty—underscores the political and security sensitivities around his reintegration into international diplomacy.