Syria’s Al-Sharaa says Trump will ‘bring peace’ to Middle East

The leader of Syria’s new interim government, Ahmed Al-Sharaa, congratulated Donald Trump during his swearing-in as president of the US during Monday’s lavish inauguration ceremony.

In an official statement posted to Telegram in English, Al-Sharaa said he was “confident” that Trump will be the leader to “bring peace to the Middle East“, which has undergone turmoil amid Syria’s devastating civil war, Israel’s war in Gaza, and subsequent regional spillover.

Syria’s de facto leader, who was once a member of Al-Qaeda before renouncing ties in 2016, said that his administration is “looking forward to improving the relations between our two countries based on dialogue and understanding”.

“The past decade has brought tremendous suffering to Syria, as conflicts have destroyed our nation and destabilised the region. We are confident that he is the leader who will bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region,” he wrote.

“We have faith that the two administrations will take the opportunity to form a partnership that reflects the aspirations of both countries.”

Earlier on Monday, Trump was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States, during a ceremony at the US Capitol, in Washington D.C.

Al-Sharaa, the leader of the Islamist rebel group HTS, led a lightening offensive against the Assad regime in late November, capturing key cities in Syria before seizing the capital Damascus on 8 December, ultimately leading to the ousting of Assad and the end of five decades of dynastical rule in Syria.

He also established the Syrian transitional government, which included Prime Minister Mohammad al-Bashir and Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani.

Syrian leaders are lobbying Washington and the EU to lift US-placed sanctions on its government following the downfall of the Assad regime, as it seeks to rebuild the country following 13 years of devastating war.

Earlier this month, Washington said it would ease sanctions concerning humanitarian relief deliveries and other basic services, but maintained that sanctions will remain as it treads cautiously with HTS – which is still designated as a terrorist organisation by the US.

HTS is also hoping that the designation will be removed.

MENA leaders congratulate Trump on inauguration

Leaders from Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Bahrain and several other Gulf allies also sent congratulatory messages to Trump on his inauguration, wishing him “good health and success”, as well as continued partnerships and strengthening of ties.

King Abdullah said: “We greatly value our partnership with the United States and are committed to working with you for a more prosperous and peaceful world.”

Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, also conveyed similar wishes and said: “We are ready to work with you to achieve peace during your term, based on a two-state solution. This vision seeks the establishment of the State of Palestine and the State of Israel living side by side in peace and security”.

The commander-in-chief of the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Mazloum Abdi, also congratulated Trump on his inauguration.

“We look forward to continuing cooperation in achieving stability, defeating terrorism, and supporting peace in Northeast Syria. Together, we can build a better future for our peoples,” he wrote on X.

This comes after Abdi was rumoured to be attending Trump’s inauguration, although this was denied by the Kurdish military leader in a televised interview with Al-Sharq News on 15 January.

Earlier this month, he called on the incoming Trump administration to maintain US military presence in northeast Syria, which is controlled by the Kurdish forces, in an interview with The Guardian, as Turkish-backed forces fight a military campaign against the SDF around the Tishreen Dam.

Abdi claimed that a withdrawal of any troops would “risk the resurgence” of the Islamic State group – defeated by the US and SDF in 2019, along with a separate campaign by Turkish-backed rebel forces – and stressed that Kurdish groups are “under pressure” from Ankara, due to frequent violent clashes.

Syria’s first time in Davos

Meanwhile, Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani continued his efforts to bring Syria back to the international fold, by planning to attend a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

The meeting, under the theme “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”, will focus on ways to enhance social and economic resilience, use new technology, and restore prosperity, the Turkish Anadolu agency said.

The forum sessions will continue until 24 January and are expected to bring together 3,000 leaders from more than 130 countries.

On X, al-Shaibani said he was “honoured” to represent Syria for the first time at the global event, where he said he will “convey to the world our development vision about the future of Syria and the aspirations of its great people”.