ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Monday received US Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack in Damascus, the Syrian presidency said in a statement.
The two officials discussed “the latest developments in the region and issues of common interest,” with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani also attending, the statement added.
Importantly, the Barrack-Sharaa Monday meeting coincided with comments from US President Donald Trump, who wrote on his Truth Social platform that Washington is “very satisfied with the results displayed, through hard work and determination, in the country of Syria.”
“We are doing everything within our power to make sure the Government of Syria continues to do what was intended… to build a true and prosperous country,” he said, adding that his rollback of “very strong and biting sanctions” had “helped them greatly.”
Washington has been dismantling its decade-old sanctions regime to support Syria’s transitional government and post-conflict recovery.
The US President further added it is “very important that Israel maintain a strong and true dialogue with Syria,” warning against anything that could disrupt the latter’s “evolution into a prosperous state.”
Trump praised Sharaa as someone “working diligently to make sure good things happen,” expressing hope for a “long and prosperous relationship” between Syria and Israel.
The developments come as the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Sunday that it carried out a joint operation with Syria’s interior ministry in southern Syria last week targeting Islamic State (ISIS) cells.
Syria had officially joined the US-led coalition against ISIS in November, following a landmark meeting between Trump and Sharaa at the White House - the first such encounter for a Syrian president in more than eight decades.
Around the same time, the United States lifted sanctions on Sharaa and Syrian Interior Minister Khattab after the UN Security Council removed both officials from its sanctions list. Sharaa had previously been sanctioned as the leader of the Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) - a now-dissolved affiliate of al-Qaeda.
Of note, Barrack on Sunday met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani in Baghdad to discuss Iraq’s role in “supporting the stability, security, prosperity and economic recovery of Syria, while simultaneously enhancing Iraq’s own stability and prosperity.”
The visit followed remarks by Mark Savaya, Trump’s special envoy to Iraq, who told Rudaw on Saturday that “big changes are coming to Iraq,” saying “everyone will see actions instead of words.”