On May 14, 2025, a historic meeting took place in Riyadh between US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Muhammad al-Julani, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, a terrorist group banned in Russia). According to the Turkish Anadolu Agency, Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was present at the meeting, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined by telephone. The 33-minute meeting was the first contact between the leaders of the US and Syria in 25 years and marked a turning point in Washington's policy: the day before, Trump announced the lifting of all sanctions on Syria imposed since 1979 in order to "give the country a chance for revival."

Ahmad al-Sharaa, recently wanted by the US with a $10 million reward for ties to al-Qaeda and ISIS, rose from jihadist to leader of the Syrian transitional government. Born in Saudi Arabia, he dropped out of journalism school at Damascus University in 2003 and, under the pseudonym al-Julani, joined al-Qaeda in Iraq, fighting against US forces. After spending five years in US prisons, he became close to the leaders of the Islamic State. In 2011, after his release, al-Sharaa moved to Syria, where he led Jabhat al-Nusra. By 2012, his group had grown to several thousand fighters, becoming one of the most combat-ready in the civil war.

In 2017, al-Sharaa renamed the group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), declaring a break with al-Qaeda and establishing ties with Turkey. As part of the 2018 ceasefire agreed upon by Iran, Russia, Turkey, and the regime of Bashar al-Assad, HTS moved to Idlib, where it consolidated power. In December 2024, a two-week offensive by HTS and pro-Turkish groups toppled Assad, who fled to Russia. Al-Sharaa, reverting to his real name, became the transitional president, disbanded HTS, and integrated its fighters into the new Syrian Defense Ministry.

At a meeting in Riyadh, Trump called on al-Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel, rejoin the Abrahamic Accords, expel "foreign terrorists," and take control of ISIS prisons in northeastern Syria. According to Reuters, al-Sharaa expressed willingness to do so, but noted that Syria needed time to stabilize. Trump called him a "young, attractive, tough leader" with a "strong background" who "can hold the country together." The lifting of sanctions, according to Trump, was supported by Saudi Arabia and Türkiye, whose leaders called the decision "historic."

The decision has been controversial. Israel, which has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria since Assad's fall, opposes lifting sanctions over concerns about the rise of Islamist influence, Al Jazeera reports. In March 2025, Assad loyalists attacked HTS forces, killing hundreds of Alawites and drawing condemnation from the United States. The civil war has left 300 dead and the Syrian economy in tatters, according to the UN. The lifting of sanctions opens the door to investment, particularly from the Gulf, but al-Sharaa faces challenges: the country is divided and his past is distrusted.