Trump receives Syrian leader in high-profile visit as lockdown nears end

As a deal to end the record government shutdown takes shape, President Donald Trump turns to foreign policy at the start of the week.

On Monday, Trump will host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, the first official visit by a Syrian leader to Washington. Officials describe the meeting as a historic attempt to bring Damascus back into the diplomatic fold after years on the international sidelines.

WHITE HOUSE PREPARES TO WELCOME SYRIAN PRESIDENT AL-SHARAA AFTER SANCTIONS RELIEF

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is scheduled to meet with President Donald Trump on November 10. (Kena Betancur/AFP/Getty Images)

It will be the third meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa this year, as Syria’s new leaders strive to rebuild a shattered nation and restore ties with Arab states and the West after the end of Bashar al-Assad’s 14-year civil war.

In a move paving the way for talks, Washington eased key restrictions on Syrian leaders ahead of the meeting.

The United States lifted sanctions on al-Sharaa on Friday, mirroring a decision made the day before by the United Nations Security Council, ahead of its meeting with Trump. According to a notice posted on the US Treasury Department’s website, Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations have been withdrawn from Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab.

SENATE DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS REACH AGREEMENT TO REOPEN GOVERNMENT

The U.S. federal government closed its doors on October 1, 2025. (Hu Yousong/Xinhua via Getty Images)

The White House meeting also comes amid an abrupt government shutdown that has paralyzed federal agencies and left Washington mired in a political impasse over funding.

Senate Republicans and Democrats reached an agreement to break the deadlock Sunday evening, but the government will not officially reopen until the House, absent from session for nearly six weeks, approves the deal. The measure would then be submitted to President Trump for signature.

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Senate Republicans are hoping a recently unveiled package of spending bills could be key to reopening the government. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., plans to put the bill and Democrats’ resolve to the test. (Pete Kiehart/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Sunday evening, Trump said a deal to end the government shutdown was within reach.

“It looks like we are very close to the end of the shutdown,” he said.

The shutdown, which began October 1, became the longest in U.S. history. It’s the 21st government shutdown since 1976 and the longest since a 34-day impasse over funding for Trump’s border wall halted operations from December 2018 to January 2019.