In a historic shift in Middle-East diplomacy, President Donald Trump is preparing to host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House in early November. It would be the first time a Syrian head of state has visited Washington in over 80 years.

The planned visit signals the prospect of a major U.S.-Syria engagement. Among the key items on the agenda: U.S. sanctions on Syria, Syria’s potential entry into a U.S.-led anti-ISIS coalition and broader regional realignment. Al-Sharaa’s rise to power followed months of upheaval in Syria; his previous role as a rebel leader and the previous U.S. terrorist designation complicate the optics of this engagement. 

For Washington, the visit offers an opportunity to reduce U.S. isolation of Syria, leverage reconstruction incentives and recalibrate alliances in a region still grappling with Israel-Syria tensions and the legacy of war. For Damascus, it represents an opening into the global diplomatic arena and an end to decades of sanctions and pariah status.

As this meeting is finalised, global watchers will look for signals of how far both sides are willing to move: recognition, aid, military basing, and regional diplomacy—all possibly recalibrated by this one visit.