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Trump to host Syrian president in historic White House meeting amid push for regional peace
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President Donald Trump is preparing to welcome Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday in what officials describe as a historic step toward testing whether Damascus can be drawn back into diplomacy after years of war and isolation.
The high-profile meeting underscores a new chapter in U.S.–Syria relations after more than a decade of hostility. A senior administration official told Fox News Digital the visit will focus on counterterrorism cooperation, economic development, and advancing regional peace and security.
During the visit, the official said, “Syria will announce that it is joining the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Syria will thus become the 90th member of the D-ISIS Coalition, partnering with the United States to eliminate ISIS remnants and halt foreign fighter flows.”
The visit follows a week of major policy shifts. On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council voted 14-0, with China abstaining, to remove sanctions on al-Sharaa and Syria’s interior minister. Additionally, Reuters reported that al-Sharaa and his interior minister, Anas Khattab, had formerly been subject to financial sanctions targeted at al Qaeda and ISIS, with the United States designating them Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
SYRIA’S INTERIM PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA EXPECTED TO MEET WITH TRUMP IN FIRST VISIT BY SYRIAN LEADER TO WHITE HOUSE
In this photo released by the Saudi Royal Palace, interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa shakes hands with President Donald Trump in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on May 14. At right is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. (AP)
The meeting comes about six weeks after al-Sharaa — the former commander of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, once affiliated with al Qaeda — addressed the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, the first by a Syrian head of state in six decades. There, he urged the West to lift sanctions and called for international support to rebuild the country.
According to the administration official, that is about to happen: “Treasury, State, and Commerce will jointly announce measures taken to lift economic restrictions and provide compliance clarity for investors. The United States will allow Syria to resume operations at its Embassy in Washington to further counterterrorism, security, and economic coordination.”
Syrian officials are seeking a reassessment of the Caesar Act sanctions, the main U.S. law still restricting commercial ties with Damascus.
The senior administration official told Fox News Digital, “The Administration is issuing a 180-day suspension of the Caesar Act and is urging Congress to permanently repeal the Act to unlock economic growth. The Trump Administration supports the full repeal of the Caesar Act. This is in line with the President’s announcement on cessation of sanctions. Removal is key to allowing U.S. business and regional states to operate in Syria.”
Syrian security forces walk together along a street, after clashes between Syrian government troops and local Druze fighters resumed in the southern Druze city of Sweida early on Wednesday, collapsing a ceasefire announced just hours earlier that aimed to put an end to days of deadly sectarian bloodshed, in Sweida, Syria July 16, 2025. (Karam al-Masri/Reuters)
EVANGELICAL LEADER SAYS US MUST PROTECT SYRIAN CHRISTIANS FROM ATTACKS BY JIHADI TERRORISTS
Rep. Abe Hamadeh, R-Ariz., who visited Damascus this summer, told Fox News Digital he views the visit as an opportunity to end years of bloodshed.
“This is the first chance Syria has to emerge from decades of brutal oppression and more than a decade of civil war,” the congressman said. “I went to Damascus to make sure missing Americans like Kayla Mueller are not forgotten, to advocate for expanding the Abraham Accords, and to remind Syria’s new leaders that they must include minorities like the Druze, Christians, and Kurds and protect their rights.”
On Friday, about 100 influential Christian leaders sent a letter to President Trump calling on him to raise the issue of minority rights and protection with the Syrian leader. The letter was led by Dede Laugesen, president of Save the Persecuted Christians, and included Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins, Samuel Rodriguez, Rob McCoy and Alveda King.
Syrian citizens and security forces inspect the damage inside Mar Elias church where a suicide bomber detonated himself in Dweil’a on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Omar Sanadiki/AP Photo)
In it, they thanked Trump for his efforts in protecting Christians and also asked him to bring up the issue with al-Sharaa. “We urge you to address directly the massacre of Christians, Kurds, Druze, and Alawites in Syria, notably in the greater Suwayda area. These religious minorities face ongoing violence, death, displacement, starvation, and water and medical deprivation—all while innocent women and children are held hostage by ISIS terrorists.”
“Mr. President, we respectfully request that you secure President al-Sharaa’s commitment to opening a secure humanitarian corridor from Hader to Suwayda in southern Syria. This corridor will enable safe and secure aid delivery and civilian evacuation, signaling the new government’s commitment to minority rights and stability,” the letter stated.
SYRIA’S NEW PRESIDENT TAKES CENTER STAGE AT UNGA AS CONCERNS LINGER OVER TERRORIST PAST
President of Syria Ahmad Al-Sharaa speaks during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on Sept. 24, 2025, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Ahmad Sharawi of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies told Fox News Digital that Washington hopes to use the meeting to pursue stability and contain Iran’s influence.
“The U.S. interest is having a government that is willing to fight ISIS and stop Iran from re-emerging,” he said. “I think the U.S. will try to find a solution to the Kurdish issue in northeast Syria and build a unified country with no decentralization or federalism.”
He cautioned that al-Sharaa’s domestic record shows “a political system that is not inclusive” and a pattern of power centralization. Despite those concerns, he added, many Syrians see him as “the only figure capable of holding the country together.”
People welcome the leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Ahmed al-Sharaa (C), before his address at the capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque on Dec. 8, 2024. Al-Sharaa gave a speech as the crowd chanted “Allahu akbar (God is greatest),” in a video shared by the rebels on their Telegram channel showed. (Aref Tammawi /AFP via Getty Images)
In October, al-Sharaa traveled to Russia to meet with President Vladimir Putin — a move Sharawi said highlights both pragmatism and risk.
“One would think that 11 months ago, when the Russians were air-striking Idlib and al-Sharaa’s forces, we wouldn’t see al-Sharaa meeting with Putin in Moscow,” Sharawi said. “But it’s a clear indicator of how al-Sharaa operates — focused on securing his interests but also being pragmatic.”
He added that the outreach signals to the West that “if you don’t give me what I want, I have other countries I can lean on,” and said it’s an effort to secure weapons and political backing after years of war and loss of equipment.
SYRIAN PRESIDENT’S HISTORIC UN SPEECH JOINED BY THOUSANDS RALLYING OUTSIDE FOR PEACE AND TRUMP’S SUPPORT
Ahmed al-Sharaa, once known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, is seen in Syria Feb. 7, 2023. Since becoming the country’s president, he has gone back to his given name. (OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images)
“That’s why I asked CENTCOM’s Gen. Michael Kurilla during House Armed Services Committee hearings about these opportunities and risks — and wrote the NDAA section on assessing the feasibility of defense partnerships with the new Syrian government,” Hamadeh said. “We must ensure that ISIS and Iran never return and make sure the Russians and Chinese are kept at a distance.”
Syrian-American activist Hicham Alnchawati of the Syria Freedom Path organization told Fox News Digital that Syrians largely welcome the visit.
“They’re looking for a better future,” he said. “They suffered the war — there’s no water, no food, no economy, and no security. He knows his interest is with the U.S. He’s coming here to achieve mutual interests for both the U.S. and Syria.”
Alnchawati argued that lasting stability will require eliminating Iran’s and Hezbollah’s influence.
“If you really want stability in the Middle East, you have to finish the job with Hezbollah and the Iranians,” he said. “They have to be totally dismantled. Otherwise, they’ll reignite the conflict one more time.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio shakes hands with Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel, on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. (Bing Guan/Pool Photo via AP)
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The United Nations and U.S. sanctions decisions have sparked debate in Washington and Europe. Reuters and the Associated Press reported that some lawmakers and rights groups argue that legitimizing a former jihadist commander could undercut accountability for past abuses, while supporters say the relief offers Damascus an incentive to cooperate on counterterrorism and drug control.
Sharawi told Fox News Digital the policy to bid on al-Sharaa “gives Damascus a powerful incentive but leaves Washington exposed. The political cost of failure would be enormous.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Oil prices rose in early trading Sunday as a standoff between Iran and the U.S. prevented tankers from using the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf waterway that is crucial to global energy supplies.
The price of U.S. crude oil increased 6.4% to $87.90 per barrel an hour after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The price of Brent crude, the international standard, climbed 5.8% to $95.64 per barrel.
The market reaction followed more than two days of lifted hopes and dashed expectations involving the strait. Crude prices plunged more than 9% Friday after Iran said it would fully reopen the strait, which it effectively controls, to commercial traffic.
Tehran reversed that decision and fired on several vessels Saturday after President Donald Trump said a U.S. Navy blockade of Iranian ports would remain in effect. On Sunday, Trump said the U.S. attacked and forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that allegedly tried to get around the blockade. Iran’s joint military command vowed to respond.
Sunday’s higher prices wiped out much of the declines seen Friday, signaling renewed doubts about how soon ships will again transport the vast amounts oil the world gets from the Middle East.
The US-Israeli war against Iran, now in its eighth week, has created one of the worst global energy crises in decades. Countries in Asia and Europe that import much of their oil from the Gulf have felt the most impact of halted supplies and production cuts, although rapidly rising gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are affecting businesses and consumers worldwide.
Asked when he thought U.S. motorists would again see gas cost less than $3 a gallon on average, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said prices at the pump might not go down that much until next year.
“But prices have likely peaked, and they’ll start going down,” Wright told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The price of crude oil — the main ingredient in gasoline — has fluctated dramatically since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, and as Iran retaliated with airstrikes on other Gulf states. Crude traded at roughly $70 a barrel before the conflict, spiked to more than $119 at times, and previously closed Friday at $82.59 for U.S. oil and $90.38 for Brent.
Industry analysts have repeatedly warned that the longer the strait is closed, the worse prices could get.
A fragile, two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is set to expire Wednesday, while escalating tensions in the Strait of Hormuz puts the fate of new talks to end the war into question.
Even if a lasting deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz emerges, analysts say it could take months for oil shipments to return to normal levels and for fuel prices to go down. Backed-up tanker traffic, shipowners concerned about another sudden escalation, and energy infrastructure damaged during the war are factors that could impede production and shipment volumes from returning to pre-war levels.
A gallon of regular gas cost an average of nearly $4.05 a gallon in the U.S. on Sunday, according to motor club federation AAA. That’s about 8 cents lower than a week ago, but far higher than $2.98 before the war.
Trump warns Iran it ‘can’t blackmail’ US with Hormuz closure
Fox News reports on heightened tensions in the Middle East as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reaffirms strict control over the Strait of Hormuz and fires on passing ships. President Donald Trump, speaking from the Oval Office, states the US naval blockade will remain in full force. White House correspondent Alex Hogan provides updates on the escalating diplomatic and military standoff.
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Hundreds of commercial tankers are stranded on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran shut the critical chokepoint on April 18, halting traffic and leaving crews trapped amid reports of gunfire and “traumatic experiences” on board.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered an international waterway under international law, through which ships have the right of transit passage, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Iranian gunboats opened fire on a tanker the same day, while a projectile struck a container vessel, damaging cargo.
STARMER AND MACRON ACCUSED OF ‘PLAYING AT BEING RELEVANT’ WITH STRAIT OF HORMUZ PLAN
U.S. Central Command said Tuesday that “U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers are among the assets executing a blockade mission impacting Iranian ports.” (CENTCOM)
Audio released by maritime monitoring group TankerTrackers appears to capture the moment a vessel and its crew came under fire while approaching the strait, including a distress call from a crew member.
“Sepah Navy! Motor tanker Sanmar Herald! You gave me clearance to go… you are firing now. Let me turn back!” the crew member can be heard saying in the recording, according to TankerTrackers.
Iranian state media confirmed that shots were fired near vessels to force them to turn back, while the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India said the foreign secretary was deeply concerned.
Hapag-Lloyd, the world’s fifth-largest container shipping line, told Fox News Digital that it had activated a crisis team as its crews remain stuck on board vessels in the region.
“We have been working from Friday afternoon until today with the entire crisis team to bring the vessels out — in vain, unfortunately,” said Nils Haupt, senior director of group communications at Hapag-Lloyd AG.
“These events can easily lead to traumatic experiences. There is also a significant risk from sea mines, which has made insuring vessels for passage through the Strait nearly impossible.”
LISA DAFTARI: HORMUZ WHIPLASH PROVES TEHRAN CAN’T HONOR ANY DEAL IT SIGNS
“The crews are well, but they are becoming increasingly impatient and frustrated. It is very unfortunate that we could not leave today,” he added. “Many ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf.”
“Our six ships are anchored near the port of Dubai, and all crews hope for an improvement in the situation,” Haupt said.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on April 18 that the strait would remain closed until the U.S. lifts its blockade on Iranian ports, warning ships not to move from anchorage or risk being treated as “enemy” collaborators.
Iran has previously argued that restrictions on its oil exports and shipping amount to “economic warfare,” framing actions in the Strait of Hormuz as a response to foreign pressure on its economy, according to statements from Iranian officials and state media in past incidents.
“Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and any violating vessel will be targeted,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
TRUMP ORDERS A BLOCKADE IN THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AS TENSIONS WITH IRAN SOAR
Fishing boats dot the sea as cargo ships, in the background, sail through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz off the United Arab Emirates, Friday, March 27, 2026. (AP Photo)
The United States imposed the blockade on Iranian ports to pressure Tehran to reopen the strait, with U.S. Central Command saying the measures are being enforced “impartially against all vessels.”
Hapag-Lloyd said its vessels have been stuck for weeks following the initial closure after the outbreak of war with Iran on Feb. 28.
“For us, it is critical that our vessels can pass through the strait soon,” Haupt said.
“We offer all crew members unlimited data so they can video call loved ones and access entertainment. Crews are strong, but after weeks on board there is growing monotony and frustration.”
“One crew experienced a fire on board from bomb fragments. Others have seen missiles or drones near their vessels,” he added.
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“They are resilient, but each additional day makes the situation more difficult, more monotonous, and more stressful.”
President Donald Trump said Iran had agreed not to close the strait again but after the closure, Trump called the situation “blackmail” and said the U.S. would not back down.
Shops and schools shut in northern Israel as residents protested a 10-day ceasefire with Lebanon that took effect on April 16, saying “nothing was achieved”. Israeli officials say operations may continue, with forces still deployed inside southern Lebanon.
Published On 19 Apr 2026
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