US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa during his visit to Saudi Arabia, according to local media reports.
The talks will reportedly include Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, as well as other regional figures, Caliber.Az reports per Arab media.
Al-Sharaa, who assumed power in Syria in January after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad by an Islamist-led rebel coalition, is still designated as a "terrorist" by the US. However, he is reportedly seeking to reset relations with Washington. Key to his diplomatic overture is the lifting of US sanctions that have been imposed on Syria under the Assad regime, sanctions that have remained in place amid allegations of war crimes and human rights violations.
In a bid to entice the Trump administration, al-Sharaa is said to be offering a range of economic and geopolitical concessions. According to security sources, the Syrian president may offer US companies access to Syria’s untapped natural resources, potentially following a model similar to the mineral exploitation agreements seen in Ukraine.
Among the more contentious proposals under consideration is the establishment of a demilitarised zone in southern Syria and the possibility of allowing Israel to maintain a limited security presence near the Golan Heights. The area was captured by Israel during the 1967 war and was recognised as Israeli territory by the Trump administration in 2019—a move rejected by much of the international community.
While al-Sharaa’s overtures may signal a significant shift in Syrian foreign policy, the prospect of a meeting with Trump has reportedly sparked internal divisions within the US administration. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s Director of National Intelligence, and a former ally of the Assad regime, is said to be urging caution, according to insiders familiar with the discussions.
In contrast, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, is reportedly more supportive of the engagement, pointing to the president’s track record of defying diplomatic norms in pursuit of deal-making. "He’s not bound by the usual constraints. If there’s a deal to be had, he’ll consider it," one senior official said.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
Source: caliber.az
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