URGENT UPDATE: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has just claimed that his demand for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Syria is supported by U.S. President Donald Trump. This unprecedented assertion came during al-Sharaa’s recent visit to Washington, D.C., where he met with Trump and key administration officials.
Al-Sharaa, who previously had a $10 million bounty on his head as a leader of the Al-Nusra Front, stated that there remains a “good distance to go” before a potential security pact between Syria and Israel can be realized. He emphasized that the ongoing presence of Israeli forces in southern Syria is a major barrier to peace negotiations.
After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2022, Israeli troops gained control of land west of the Golan Heights, which they’ve designated as a “buffer zone” amid ongoing violence linked to the Syrian Civil War. Al-Sharaa has called for Israel to return its forces to the December 8 borders, asserting that this demand is backed by Trump, while accusing Israel of having “expansionist ambitions.”
“If this demilitarized zone was used by some parties as a launching pad for hitting Israel, who is going to be responsible for that?” al-Sharaa stated, criticizing Israel’s conditions for a demilitarized zone in southern Syria.
Despite his strong rhetoric, al-Sharaa did not make a security deal contingent on Israel’s full withdrawal from the Golan Heights, a territory Syria considers occupied. Political divisions have emerged within Trump’s own MAGA movement regarding al-Sharaa, particularly because he was listed as a wanted terrorist as recently as last year.
Laura Loomer, a significant figure in the far-right community and a close ally of Trump, condemned the meeting, stating, “Who said ‘let’s invite the ISIS terrorist to the White House for a photo op in the Oval Office the day before Veterans Day?’” This sentiment reflects the wariness among some Trump supporters about engaging with al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who now leads HTS, a group formed after merging with several Islamist factions.
In a notable shift, the U.S. has lifted sanctions on Syria and removed HTS from its list of proscribed terror organizations. This move has been framed as a pivot towards realigning Syria with the West, as the U.S. confirmed on Tuesday that Syria became the 90th nation to join its “Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.” Tom Barrack, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, referred to this as “a pivotal moment in Syria’s history and in the global fight against terrorism.”
As this situation develops, international observers will be closely watching how this new alignment influences the dynamics between Syria, Israel, and the U.S. With tensions running high, what happens next could have significant implications for the region and beyond.
Stay tuned for ongoing updates on this rapidly evolving story.
