Payam Javan: In a move marking a dramatic shift in Middle East diplomacy, President Donald Trump is set to host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, the first such visit by a Syrian head of state in U.S. history. The meeting comes just six months after their initial encounter in Saudi Arabia, signaling the Trump administration’s willingness to reimagine America’s engagement with post-conflict Syria.

Al-Sharaa, 42, rose to power following a rapid and decisive offensive by his forces that ousted longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad late last year. His unexpected ascent, once dismissed by Washington as an Islamist uprising, has since been reevaluated amid shifting alliances and the collapse of old power structures across the region.

The U.S. decision last week to remove Sharaa from its list of “Specially Designated Global Terrorists” cleared the way for this historic meeting. The Trump administration, emphasizing results over rhetoric, appears determined to test whether a pragmatic partnership with Damascus could stabilize the region and counter Iranian influence.

Sharaa’s agenda reportedly includes pressing for the full removal of remaining American sanctions on Syria, a demand that will test the administration’s balancing act between moral caution and strategic opportunity. For Trump, this meeting may underscore his long-standing message: that peace and strength go hand in hand, and that America leads best when it talks from a position of power.