Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa to Visit Washington in Historic First, Confirms US Envoy

In a historic diplomatic breakthrough, Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa is set to visit Washington, D.C., around November 10, marking the first-ever visit by a Syrian head of state to the United States capital, according to US Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack.

Barrack made the announcement during the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, an influential international conference focusing on global security and Middle Eastern affairs. A senior White House official confirmed that the visit is tentatively scheduled, while a Syrian government source suggested that the trip will take place within the next two weeks.

A Milestone in US-Syria Relations

According to US State Department archives, no Syrian president has ever officially visited Washington before. Sharaa, however, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this year in September.

Since assuming power in December 2024 following the fall of Bashar al-Assad, President Sharaa has launched a diplomatic campaign to rebuild Syria’s international standing. His administration has made overtures toward major global powers, aiming to end years of isolation faced during Assad’s regime.

Focus on Regional Stability and Counterterrorism

Envoy Barrack indicated that Washington hopes Syria will join the US-led coalition initially formed in 2014 to combat the Islamic State (IS) group. “We are trying to get everybody to be a partner in this alliance, which is huge for them,” Barrack stated.

Sharaa’s political past remains controversial — he once led a Syrian faction affiliated with Al-Qaeda, though the group severed ties with the global network more than a decade ago and later fought against the Islamic State. The US coalition, alongside local Syrian forces, defeated IS’s last stronghold in 2019, but remnants of the organization continue to threaten the region’s stability.

Syria-Israel De-escalation Efforts

Barrack also disclosed that US-mediated de-escalation talks between Syria and Israel are ongoing, with both sides reportedly nearing a breakthrough. The negotiations aim to establish a security agreement that could end Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory and lead to the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Syria.

“The United States wants the framework finalized before President Sharaa’s visit,” a diplomatic insider told reporters.

While diplomatic progress appears promising, long-standing territorial disputes and deep mistrust between Damascus and Tel Aviv continue to cast uncertainty over any lasting peace accord.

A New Chapter in Middle Eastern Diplomacy

If successful, Sharaa’s visit could mark a turning point in US-Syria relations, reshaping regional alliances in the post-Assad era. It also highlights Washington’s renewed engagement strategy across the Middle East — focusing on stability, counterterrorism, and reconstruction partnerships.

As both nations prepare for this unprecedented meeting, the world will be watching closely to see whether this historic visit signals the beginning of a new diplomatic chapter between Syria and the United States.