Syria offers resource access to US in exchange for sanctions relief

Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is seeking to improve ties with the United States and is aiming to secure a meeting with US President Donald Trump, according to multiple media reports.

Sources told The Times that a meeting between the two leaders could take place this week during Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia. The Syrian leader is reportedly prepared to offer significant concessions in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions, which were imposed during the decades-long rule of former President Bashar al-Assad.

According to the report, al-Sharaa is considering granting US companies access to Syria’s natural resources—an arrangement modelled after a similar deal struck between the Trump administration and Ukraine. The proposed agreement is seen as part of a broader effort by the new Syrian leadership to normalise international relations and attract foreign investment.

Al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani and head of the group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, assumed the role of interim president following the overthrow of Assad in December 2024. His rise to power marked a dramatic shift in Syria’s political landscape, as Assad’s family had ruled the country for decades.

Despite holding his current position, al-Sharaa remains a controversial figure. He has been listed as a specially designated global terrorist by the US since 2013, with a $10 million reward still offered for information leading to his capture. His leadership of an organisation formerly designated as a terrorist group complicates efforts to gain Western recognition, but recent moves suggest a shift in his strategy.

In addition to economic cooperation, al-Sharaa is said to be willing to take unprecedented steps in foreign policy. The Times reports that he is prepared to enter discussions on Syria joining the Abraham Accords—a series of agreements under which several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, normalised relations with Israel.

Sources claim that as part of this broader realignment, al-Sharaa is also open to allowing an Israeli presence in southwestern Syria, specifically in the area surrounding the Golan Heights—a region of long-standing strategic and political tension.

American businessman Jonathan Bass, who met with al-Sharaa in Damascus on April 30, told Reuters that the interim president is eager to strike a deal with the United States. “Al-Sharaa wants to make a deal for the future of his country. He told me he wants to build a Trump Tower in Damascus. He wants peace with his neighbours,” Bass said.

While the Trump administration has yet to confirm any plans for a meeting, reports indicate that al-Sharaa is hoping that this outreach, combined with offers of economic and diplomatic concessions, will pave the way for a new chapter in US-Syria relations.

By Tamilla Hasanova