Al-Sharaa touched down in Washington, DC, late Saturday, ahead of meetings with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday. Analysts note that this is the first visit by a Syrian president to the US in over seven decades.

The visit follows his removal from a US “terrorist” sanctions list on Friday, and his previous meeting with Trump in Riyadh in May. US officials hope the talks will bring Syria into the international coalition against ISIL.

On the same day as al-Sharaa’s arrival, Syria’s Interior Ministry announced a nationwide operation targeting ISIL cells. Security forces carried out 61 raids in Aleppo, Idlib, Hama, Homs, and Damascus countrysides.

A spokesperson reported that at least 71 people were arrested, and explosives and weapons were seized. Syrian state media described the campaign as part of “ongoing nation efforts to combat terrorism and protect public safety.”

Strategic and diplomatic goals

The US is reportedly preparing to establish a military presence at an airbase in Damascus to support a security pact between Syria and Israel. Al-Sharaa is expected to seek reconstruction funds for Syria, where rebuilding costs are estimated at $216 billion by the World Bank.

Al-Sharaa, formerly linked to al-Qaeda, leads Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which broke from the network and fought ISIL. The group was delisted as a terrorist organization by Washington in July.

Al-Sharaa recently addressed the UN General Assembly in New York, becoming the first Syrian president in decades to do so. Last Thursday, the UN Security Council voted to lift sanctions against him, further paving the way for international diplomatic engagement.