Syria’s New Chapter: President al-Sharaa Visits White House as Damascus Launches Nationwide IS Raids

Syria’s New Chapter: President al-Sharaa Visits White House as Damascus Launches Nationwide IS Raids
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Syria’s transitional government, led by Ahmad al‑Sharaa, is making a bold diplomatic and security pivot: his upcoming meeting with Donald Trump at the White House in Washington is paired with a nationwide pre-emptive campaign against the Islamic State.

President al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet President Trump on November 10, marking the first ever Syrian presidential visit to Washington since Syria’s independence, The Guardian reported.

The trip follows the removal of al-Sharaa from U.S. and UN terrorism sanctions—a move which sets the stage for Syria’s integration into the U.S.-led coalition against IS and opens a pathway to sanctions relief and reconstruction aid.

Simultaneously, Syria’s security forces carried out 61 raids across the country, detaining 71 suspects and seizing weapons and explosives.

These operations, announced by the Interior Ministry, underscore al-Sharaa’s commitment to counter-terrorism as he seeks U.S. backing for rebuilding Syria and re-joining global security frameworks.

Analysts see this dual move—diplomatic outreach to Washington and internal crackdowns on extremist cells—as a strategic shift for Syria. It signals an attempt to reposition Damascus from pariah to partner, while simultaneously demonstrating its capacity to act against militant threats. Whether this will lead to full normalization with the West remains contingent on results in both diplomacy and security.