Donald Trump meets Ahmed al-Sharaa, becomes first US president to meet Syrian leader in 25 years: See pics
Authored By Navashree Nandini
Published: May 14, 2025, 10:37 IST | Updated: May 14, 2025, 10:37 IST
World | Donald Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader as he held a meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa - the interim president of Syria
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Trump meets Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
Donald Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
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US President Bill Clinton met then Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in 2000
No US president has met a Syrian leader since Bill Clinton saw Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father, in Geneva in 2000 in a failed effort to persuade him to make peace with Israel
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Trump lifts Assad-era sanctions on Syria
Trump announced on Tuesday that he was lifting “brutal and crippling" Assad-era sanctions on Syria. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was seen in a meeting with Saudi officials including Crown Prince MBS, US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
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Trump-Sharaa meet a major breakthrough in US-Syria relations
Trump's meeting with Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda member, who became Syrian leader after the ouster of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, is a major breakthrough in relations between the two countries. US-Syria diplomatic relations were suspended in 2012 after the start of Syria's civil war.
U.S.-Syria diplomatic relations were suspended in 2012 after the start of Syria's civil war.
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Ahmed al-Sharaa met several world leaders in the past few months
Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka erstwhile Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, with a motive to legitimise his rule in Syria and bring it out of its past, has met several leaders in the past few months, including French President Emmanuel Macron
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Syria to recognise Israel?
Meanwhile, Trump has urged the Syrian leader to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel
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Trump meets Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
Donald Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa
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US President Bill Clinton met then Syrian President Hafez al-Assad in 2000
No US president has met a Syrian leader since Bill Clinton saw Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father, in Geneva in 2000 in a failed effort to persuade him to make peace with Israel
9 / 12
Trump lifts Assad-era sanctions on Syria
Trump announced on Tuesday that he was lifting “brutal and crippling" Assad-era sanctions on Syria. Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was seen in a meeting with Saudi officials including Crown Prince MBS, US President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio
10 / 12
Trump-Sharaa meet a major breakthrough in US-Syria relations
Trump's meeting with Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda member, who became Syrian leader after the ouster of longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad, is a major breakthrough in relations between the two countries. US-Syria diplomatic relations were suspended in 2012 after the start of Syria's civil war.
U.S.-Syria diplomatic relations were suspended in 2012 after the start of Syria's civil war.
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Ahmed al-Sharaa met several world leaders in the past few months
Ahmed al-Sharaa, aka erstwhile Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, with a motive to legitimise his rule in Syria and bring it out of its past, has met several leaders in the past few months, including French President Emmanuel Macron
12 / 12
Syria to recognise Israel?
Meanwhile, Trump has urged the Syrian leader to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel