Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,
Syria has agreed to join the U.S.-led coalition to tackle the ISIS terrorist group following a meeting between President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump on Nov. 10, according to a Syrian official.
Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa said on Nov. 10 that Syria has signed “a political cooperation declaration” with the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS—a coalition signed by 89 other partners to combat ISIS in Iraq, Syria, and globally—confirming its commitment to efforts to combat terrorism and support regional stability.
“The agreement is political and until now contains no military components,” al-Mustafa said in a statement posted to X.
A senior U.S. administration official also confirmed to The Epoch Times that Syria will join the international coalition.
Al-Sharaa’s meeting with Trump at the White House on Nov. 10 was the first visit by a Syrian leader since the country gained independence from France in 1946.
Al-Mustafa said the talks centered on expanding economic cooperation between the two nations, U.S. investments, and easing sanctions imposed under the Caesar Act—which bars the sale of U.S. goods and technology to Syria and blocks the country from the international banking system.
The two leaders also discussed plans to integrate the Syrian Democratic Forces into the Syrian Army, al-Mustafa stated, noting that the move aims to “unify institutions and ensure lasting stability” in the region.
The meeting resulted in Trump granting a 180-day extension of his waiver of sanctions against Syria. Trump told reporters Nov. 10 that he wants to see Syria “become a country that’s very successful.”
In an interview with Fox News that aired Nov. 10, al-Sharaa said Syria has entered “a new era” in its relations with the United States after the fall of the Assad regime, emphasizing Damascus’s intention to establish itself as a geopolitical partner.
“The goal is for Syria to no longer be seen as a security threat but as a geopolitical ally and a country where the U.S. can invest significantly, especially in gas extraction,” he said, according to a translation from Syria’s state media.
When asked about Syria’s participation in the coalition against ISIS, al-Sharaa acknowledged the reasons for the U.S. military presence in Syria but said that it should now be coordinated with the Syrian government.
“We need to discuss these issues and reach an agreement regarding ISIS,” he stated.
Al-Sharaa took office in December 2024 after former leader Bashar al-Assad fled to Moscow, ending his family’s 53-year rule in Syria. Al-Sharaa led the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which claimed victory in the country’s 13-year civil war.
HTS, which has roots in the Islamist terrorist group al-Qaeda, was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department in 2018 but was removed from the list this year.
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