Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa arrived today, September 22, in New York, United States, to attend the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly—marking the first visit by a Syrian president to the country since 1967.
Social media platforms saw both supportive and opposing reactions to the visit, due to Al-Sharaa’s militant background and his role in toppling one of the oldest military dictatorships in the Arab world after 14 years of revolution and war, amid global failure to reach a peaceful solution.
Upon arrival, President Al-Sharaa met with a delegation from the Syrian diaspora in America, emphasizing the importance of their role in conveying the true image of Syria.
The president’s itinerary includes delivering a speech before the UN General Assembly, meeting with Syrian expatriates, and holding talks with several world leaders—including confirmed attendance by Turkish President Erdoğan.
Speculation has emerged about a possible meeting between Al-Sharaa and U.S. President Trump, though it remains unconfirmed.
Sources revealed that the United States had been pushing for a Syrian-Israeli security agreement during the visit. However, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu stated yesterday that the agreement “needs more time,” despite progress being made—amid ongoing Israeli military aggression in Syria, including the occupation of new territories following Assad’s fall, a heavy bombing campaign, and support for a Druze minority military rebellion in the south.
President Al-Sharaa is also scheduled to speak at the Concordia Summit, held alongside the UN General Assembly, which addresses global challenges such as reconstruction and sustainable development.
The president’s visit was preceded by a trip by Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shibani to Washington, where he inaugurated the Syrian embassy building and raised the new national flag. He also attempted to persuade members of the U.S. Congress to lift the harsh Caesar sanctions on Syria. However, leaked information suggests that full sanction relief is conditional and postponed until after the end of the current year.
American voices on social media condemned the U.S. reception of Syria’s new president, citing his former membership in both ISIS and Al-Qaeda—groups with which the United States is engaged in conflict across multiple countries.
Nonetheless, following a visit to the Gulf region and a joint Saudi-Turkish mediation, President Trump decided to remove Al-Sharaa from the U.S. terrorist designation list and lift American sanctions on Syria—a move that surprised many observers.
After assuming leadership of Syria’s transitional government, President Ahmad Al-Sharaa announced his intention to open the country to foreign investment and international aid, provided it is debt-free. The transitional Syrian government has signed dozens of memoranda of understanding and investment agreements with Arab and global companies to rebuild the country and repair its devastated electricity sector. The new state has seen the return of nearly one million refugees, mostly from neighboring countries. Syria also resumed exports of crude oil and phosphate, giving a boost to its collapsed economy, and some American companies have begun offering services inside Syria for the first time in many years.
Moumin sawady



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