For years, the United States viewed Ahmed al-Sharaa as a terrorist due to his former leadership of the rebel group HTS in Syria. But since al-Sharaa came to power, Trump has shifted course, meeting him in Saudi Arabia earlier this year and repeatedly praising him as a strong leader in a difficult region.

The two leaders are expected to discuss easing remaining US sanctions and a possible American military presence, as al-Sharaa seeks to end Syria's political isolation that has deepened since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.