New York City – In a historic moment that signals a potential shift in global diplomacy, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, as confirmed by Syrian state news agency SANA early Thursday morning.
A photo released by SANA shows President Al-Sharaa shaking hands with President Trump, with First Lady Melania Trump standing by — a symbolic image of a thawing relationship between two nations long at odds.
This marks the second meeting between the leaders, following their unexpected encounter in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Al-Sharaa’s appearance at the UN General Assembly also breaks a 60-year absence of a Syrian leader at such a high-level global event — the last being in 1967 before the long reign of the Assad family.
Restoring Syria’s Place on the World Stage
Just days before this high-profile meeting, President Al-Sharaa also held talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The discussions centered around rebuilding Syria’s relationship with the West, ending the country’s isolation, and expanding cooperation on counterterrorism efforts, locating missing Americans, and regional security issues, including the sensitive topic of Israel-Syria relations.
Al-Sharaa, a former leader of the rebel group Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, once labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S., has made significant strides toward legitimacy. The Trump administration lifted the terror designation and relaxed sanctions, offering Syria a renewed chance to engage with the international community.
Rubio reportedly emphasized the “opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation,” while acknowledging the weight of President Trump’s controversial yet strategic decision to ease economic pressure on Damascus.
On the Abraham Accords: Syria Remains Firm
Despite warming ties, Syria maintains a firm stance against joining the Abraham Accords — the series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab nations brokered by the Trump administration.
“Syria is different,” Al-Sharaa said during a conversation with retired Gen. David Petraeus at the Concordia Annual Summit in New York. “We are neighbors to Israel and have faced more than a thousand raids. Respect must be given to our circumstances. We are in different phases of talks to return to the 1974 truce.”
The dialogue between Al-Sharaa and Petraeus was symbolic on its own: two former adversaries — one a former Al-Qaeda-linked militant imprisoned during the Iraq war, the other the architect of the U.S. military strategy in the region — now engaged in civil dialogue to chart a peaceful path forward.
A Plea to End Sanctions
Al-Sharaa was candid about the need for broader sanctions relief, emphasizing that “the Syrian people should not be killed another time through the sanctions.” He argued passionately that lifting remaining restrictions would help Syria rebuild and provide opportunities for its people who are eager to work and contribute to the global economy.
During his visit, he also met with top U.S. lawmakers, including Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Rep. Gregory Meeks, who are considering legislative efforts to remove residual penalties on Syria.
In addressing past atrocities and internal conflicts, Al-Sharaa admitted to “major chaos” and declared that Syria is now committed to justice and transparency — even allowing international investigators access to the country for the first time in decades. “We will hold people accountable, even if they are close to us,” he affirmed.
