RIYADH- U.S. President Donald Trump met on Wednesday Syria’s president Ahmed al-Sharaa and urged him to deport what he described as “Palestinian terrorists” and assume responsibility for detention centers holding ISIS fighters in northeast Syria.
The request came during a meeting in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, which was attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and joined via video by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to a White House statement, Trump also called on al-Sharaa to “do a great job for the Syrian people,” join the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered agreements under which several Arab states normalized ties with Israel, and support efforts to prevent ISIS’s resurgence.
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The statement added that Trump asked al-Sharaa to take control of ISIS detention facilities in northeastern Syria, which currently hold thousands of ISIS militants and family members. These camps are mainly operated by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who signed an agreement with Syria’s transitional government in March to integrate certain institutions into the Syrian state framework.
The Syrian foreign ministry confirmed the meeting, saying Trump expressed his country’s support for Syria’s recovery efforts. “The meeting focused on Syrian-American counterterrorism cooperation and support for reconstruction,” the ministry said.
According to a U.S. diplomatic source quoted by Reuters, the two sides also agreed to dismantle Syria’s remaining chemical weapons stockpiles under international supervision and to strengthen intelligence cooperation, particularly on preventing foreign jihadists from holding positions of authority in any future Syrian government.
The talks also covered the fate of missing American journalist Austin Tice, with Syria reportedly agreeing to cooperate in locating him. Additionally, al-Sharaa signaled support for designating Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.
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The source revealed that Syria is expected to be included in upcoming U.S.-Gulf investment initiatives worth over $600 billion, spanning energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors, part of a larger plan to reintegrate Syria into the regional economy.
A White House official described al-Sharaa’s “pragmatic new approach” as a potential gateway to “unprecedented opportunities.”
Saudi media reported the Trump–al-Sharaa meeting lasted 33 minutes and took place behind closed doors in Riyadh. Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency confirmed Erdoğan’s virtual participation in the summit, which included leaders from the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and Syria.
Speaking at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum on Tuesday, Trump said, “There’s a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace.”
