American forces killed a senior ISIS leader and two of his adult sons in Syria early Friday morning, the U.S. military announced. 
U.S. Central Command said that senior ISIS leader Dhiya’ Zawba Muslih al-Hardani was killed during a raid in al-Bab, Syria. All-Hardani “posed a threat” to American and coalition forces as well as the new Syrian government, CENTCOM said. 
“We will continue to relentlessly pursue ISIS terrorists wherever they operate. ISIS terrorists are not safe where they sleep, where they operate, and where they hide,” <a href="https://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release-View/Article/4255485/centcom-forces-kill-senior-isis-leader-in-al-bab-syria/">said</a> CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla. “Alongside our partners and allies, U.S. Central Command is committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS terrorists that threaten the region, our allies, and our homeland.”
Two of al-Hardani’s adult sons, Abdallah Dhiya and Abd al-Rahman Dhiya Zawba, were killed in the raid. CENTCOM said that both were affiliated with ISIS. Three women and three children present at the location were unharmed. 
There were no American casualties during the raid, which took place about 29 miles northwest of Aleppo.
In recent months, the Trump administration shifted American policy on Syria, dropping sanctions and moving to relax export restrictions. The move came as President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lauds-syrian-president-as-attractive-and-tough-after-vowing-to-remove-sanctions">been friendly</a> with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. 
During a May meeting with al-Sharaa, Trump called him a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
Al-Sharaa, who has portrayed himself as a moderate, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/syrias-jihadist-president-calls-for-peace-as-his-forces-slaughter-political-and-ethnic-minorities">previously been tied to</a> various terrorist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Al-Qaeda. Trump pushed him during their meeting to help the United States target ISIS.
In recent days, the Trump administration has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-calls-on-syrian-muslims-to-end-attacks-on-druze-rape-and-slaughter-must-end?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Rubio+Calls+On+Syrian+Muslims+To+End+Attacks+On+Druze%3A+‘Rape+And+Slaughter+…+Must+End’">pressed</a> al-Sharaa to crack down on terror groups attacking religious minorities in the country. 
U.S. forces have continued to target ISIS operatives throughout the Middle East. In March, an American strike <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/his-miserable-life-was-terminated-trump-announces-top-isis-leader-dead-after-u-s-strike">took out</a> Abu Khadijah, a top ISIS leader who was hiding in Iraq. Khadijah was the chief of global operations and the delegated committee emir for ISIS and, officially, the second-in-command for the Islamic terrorist organization.

TOPSHOT-IRAQ-CONFLICT-MOSUL

U.S. Forces Take Out Top ISIS Leader In Syria

Centcom

ISIS

Syria

Terrorism

Trump Administration

U.S. Military

World

The International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (<a href="https://www.ifcj.org/?carousel=v3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IFCJ</a>), the largest philanthropic organization operating in Israel, is stepping up to assist the Druze community in Syria, who are currently facing persecution, kidnappings, and massacres by Islamic militants.
Violence broke out in the Druze-majority region of Suwayda on July 13, after Bedouin tribes and militants claiming allegiance to Syria’s interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, launched attacks against the Druze community. Videos recorded by the attackers show the execution of civilians during the assault, including one of a 35-year-old American citizen, Hosam Saraya.
IFCJ has so far sent 1,500 boxes of food to Druze in Syria and sent medical equipment for a clinic inside Syria. The organization’s president and CEO, Yael Eckstein, told The Daily Wire that more aid is on the way.
“When we see our Druze and Christian brothers and sisters right over Israel’s border being targeted and killed, we have to do something to act,” Eckstein said. “Right now they are facing the very real threat of being wiped out from Syria if the free world does not do something to stop that.”
The Druze are an ethnoreligious minority found in Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and in diaspora communities in the West. Syria has the largest Druze population, accounting for about 3% of the country’s total population. Although their faith originated as an offshoot of Islam, the Druze do not consider themselves Muslims. They believe they are descendants of Jethro — Moses’s father-in-law — whom they revere as a prophet and their spiritual founder.
<div id="attachment_950903" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-950903" class="size-large wp-image-950903" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Templates-27-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Templates-27-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Templates-27-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Templates-27-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Templates-27.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Humanitarian aid boxes sponsored by IFCJ and medical aid for the Syrian Druze population. (Photo: Courtesy)</div>
Israel has been the only country to intervene on behalf of the Druze, fulfilling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israel-warns-syria-will-pay-a-heavy-price-if-hostile-forces-are-allowed-to-enter-country" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a promise</a> made shortly after Sharaa took power to protect the Druze community.
The next shipment of aid is expected to go directly to the hospital in Suwayda, which is in need of basic medical equipment and medications. According to the hospital staff working at the hospital, militants massacred patients in their beds, including children, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly84jn000do" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported the BBC</a>. Now the hospital is struggling to treat new patients as the Druze community attempts to recover from the attacks.
“What we’ve heard is that people are needlessly dying,” Eckstein said. “People are getting to the hospital and they don’t have antibiotics, they don’t have the basics. We have the responsibility to help.”
There are about 150,000 Druze people living in Israel.
To Eckstein, sending aid to the Druze is the least her organization can do to help Israeli Druze save their Syrian brothers and sisters. Eckstein pointed out the Israeli Druze community’s long history of loyalty to Israel, with many Druze serving in the Israeli Defense Forces.
<div id="attachment_950899" style="width: 648px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-950899" class="size-large wp-image-950899" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-10.41.58%E2%80%AFAM-638x576.png" alt="" width="638" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-10.41.58%E2%80%AFAM-638x576.png 638w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-10.41.58%E2%80%AFAM-300x271.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-10.41.58%E2%80%AFAM-768x693.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/Screenshot-2025-07-23-at-10.41.58%E2%80%AFAM.png 1338w" sizes="(max-width: 638px) 100vw, 638px" />International Fellowship Of Christians And Jews CEO and President Yael Eckstein. (Photo: Instagram/Yael Eckstein)</div>
“The Druze community in Israel is part of our society that is irreplaceable,” she said. “They have the same responsibilities and they pay with their lives for the safety and security of Israel. The Druze population has the highest percentage of people who join the army for long-term army careers than any other population in Israeli society.”
Due to their religious differences, Islamic extremists have branded the Druze as heretics and persecuted them at different times in history.
“The Druze community has been targeted across the Middle East and in Syria just as the Jewish community across the Middle East was targeted after 1948 and kicked out as well except the Druze had nowhere to go,” Eckstein said.
Terrorists who have targeted Druze individuals over the past week have posted graphic videos of the killings online. In some clips, the gleeful attackers are seen confirming their victims are Druze before executing them. Other videos show militants forcibly shaving the mustaches of Druze men — including religious leaders — in a deliberate act of humiliation, as the mustache holds religious significance for the Druze.
Eckstein said the reality on the ground is frightening and that it is unacceptable that the world has not stepped up to condemn the atrocities and instead focused its attention on vilifying Israel.
“As the saying goes, no Jews, no news,” Eckstein said. “I think people are so consumed with focusing and being obsessed with Israel that it doesn’t leave room to see persecution that is happening all around the world.”
Although the IFCJ is primarily known for assisting Jews in need in Israel, Eckstein said the organization has been the largest supporter of the Druze community for over a decade. For the past 15 years, the IFCJ has helped fund a home for Druze orphans and children whose parents are unable to care for them, offered scholarships to talented Druze youth, and provided emergency funding to local Druze municipalities.
Two years ago, IFCJ donated the first three ambulances to Majdal Shams, an Israeli Druze town on the border of Syria, and trained medics to use them. The ambulances were instrumental in the aftermath of a Hezbollah <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/netanyahu-takes-credit-for-assassination-of-terrorist-commander-challenging-days-ahead" target="_blank" rel="noopener">missile attack</a> on the town that killed 12 Druze children and injured 40 other people.
<div id="attachment_950885" style="width: 798px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-950885" class="size-large wp-image-950885" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/damage-from-Iran-rocket_Ramat-Gan_MDA-ambulance_3_14805353-788x576.jpg" alt="" width="788" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/damage-from-Iran-rocket_Ramat-Gan_MDA-ambulance_3_14805353-788x576.jpg 788w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/damage-from-Iran-rocket_Ramat-Gan_MDA-ambulance_3_14805353-300x219.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/damage-from-Iran-rocket_Ramat-Gan_MDA-ambulance_3_14805353-768x561.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/07/damage-from-Iran-rocket_Ramat-Gan_MDA-ambulance_3_14805353.jpg 1530w" sizes="(max-width: 788px) 100vw, 788px" />Ambulance donated by IFCJ. (Photo: Courtesy)</div>
According to Eckstein, the ambulances are currently at the Syrian border preparing to assist anyone in need.
“I think people are smart and especially people who are faithful and read the scriptures and understand the difference between right and wrong and have a deep value and sanctity of life,” Eckstein said. “I think when you see what is happening, it&#8217;s pretty clear where there is light and where there is darkness and the more we can strengthen the light I think the better the world will be.”

medical equipment to Christians and Druze in Syria_03_20250623.

Why A Religious Charity In Israel Went Into Hyperdrive To Help Syria’s Druze: ‘People Are Needlessly Dying’

Ahmed al-Sharaa

Druze

Israel

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday urged the new government of Syria to crack down on terror groups “carrying out massacres” against religious minorities in the country’s south.
Syria’s government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, must step in to protect religious minorities, mainly Druze, in its south if the government wants to achieve a unified Syria, Rubio said. The fighting has dampened hope that Syria may be able to transition to a peaceful state.
“The U.S. has remained heavily involved over the last three days with Israel, Jordan and authorities in Damascus on the horrifying &amp; dangerous developments in southern Syria,” said Rubio in a post on X. “The rape and slaughter of innocent people which has and is still occuring must end.”
U.S. special envoy to Syria Tom Barrack <a href="https://x.com/USAMBTurkiye/status/1946936064360497273">said</a> on Sunday morning that a ceasefire had been struck between forces in Syria’s south, and that it was holding while negotiations for hostages moved forward.
“Escalating hostilities can only be contained with an agreement to pause violence, protect the innocent, allow humanitarian access, and step back from danger. As of 17:00 Damascus time, all parties have navigated to a pause and cessation of hostilities. The next foundation stone on a path to inclusion, and lasting de-escalation, is a complete exchange of hostages and detainees, the logistics of which are in process,” said Barrack.
Clashes in Syria’s south have taken place for weeks. Violence <a href="https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2025/07/clashes-intensify-between-arab-bedouin-tribes-and-druze-militias-in-suwayda.php">escalated</a> recently when Syrian government forces moved against Druze militias led by Druze leader Hikmat al Hijri last week. In response, Israel launched airstrikes against Syrian forces, causing them to withdraw.
Rubio called on the Syrian government, which has taken the side of Bedouin tribes against Druze, to restore peace to the region instead of targeting the Druze minority.
“If authorities in Damascus want to preserve any chance of achieving a unified, inclusive and peaceful Syria free of ISIS and of Iranian control they must help end this calamity by using their security forces to prevent ISIS and any other violent jihadists from entering the area and carrying out massacres. And they must hold accountable and bring to justice anyone guilty of atrocities including those in their own ranks,” said Rubio.
Rubio also called for a stop to fighting between Druze and Bedouin tribes in Syria’s Sweida province, where the fighting has concentrated in the Druze-majority region.
After the withdrawal of Syrian government forces, Druze militias moved against Bedouin tribes, sparking retaliatory attacks against Druze. Brutality has reportedly taken place against civilians and captives of both sides.
Israel has maintained military control over parts of southern Syria to keep a buffer zone between the Jewish state and Syria, which is rife with tribal violence and jihadists – Syria’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-mohammad-al-jolani">president</a> is a longtime terrorist with ties to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Israel, which has a sizable Druze population living in its north, has promised to protect the Druze population in Syria’s south.
As part of its strikes, Israel hit targets in the Syrian capital of Damascus. Israel said it took action in defense of Druze civilians who were targeted by Syria’s military.
“The IDF continues to monitor developments and the regime’s actions against Druze civilians in southern Syria. In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the IDF is conducting strikes in the area and remains prepared for various scenarios,” the Israeli military said.

Marco Rubio

Rubio Calls On Syrian Muslims To End Attacks On Druze: ‘Rape And Slaughter … Must End’

Rubio Calls On Syrian Government To End Attacks On Druze: ‘Rape And Slaughter … Must End’

A Melkite-Catholic priest in Sweida, Syria, issued a desperate plea for help from the outside world as Syrian Islamists have been murdering Druze and Christians in Syria.
Father Tony Boutros, a representative of the Melkite-Catholic Church, an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See in Rome, was<a href="https://hcef.org/790796443-syria-kidnapped-melkite-priest-freed/"> kidnapped</a> in 2015 while driving to a church for Mass. He was then serving as the pastor of the Church of St. Philip the Apostle in Shahba.
Speaking from Sweida, where Islamic forces loyal to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are attacking and reportedly slaughtering members of that country’s Druze community, Boutros posted an urgent cry for help to prevent Islamists from wiping out the Druze and Christian communities.
“We are not ‘minorities,” he began. “We are components of this Syrian country, and we have been living together for hundreds of years. We are the people of this land. We and our Druze brothers here, and we live with them. We ask the U.S., Europe, the Vatican, and the whole world for international protection for this region of Sweida, all of it, for us and for our Druze brothers, my dear ones, and we condemn every criminal act.”
“We are advocates of peace, my dear ones, we reject excommunication and we reject killing,” he continued. “All of this is condemned for us. And we want international protection from you. We want to stay in our homes. We want to stay with our Druze brothers, with our people, us and them. Not just neighbors; we are brothers and we coexist. Not just coexist; we are one, living together for hundreds of years, and we will not leave our homes and our land.  We demand international protection from the whole world. Look at us. Look at Sweida. Look at the massacres that happened to us in Sweida.”
He then tacitly thanked the government of Israel, among others, who have come to the rescue of the Druze and Christians, concluding, “And I thank all the people who want to help us and stand with us.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Heartbreaking, Father Tony Boutros, representative of the Greek Catholic Church in Sweida, Syria, makes an appeal to the international community to save Christians and Druze from an Islamist genocide.
“We Christians and Druze are one. Look at the massacre they are committing… <a href="https://t.co/DiBZLMBuze">pic.twitter.com/DiBZLMBuze</a>
— Dr. Maalouf ‏ (@realMaalouf) <a href="https://twitter.com/realMaalouf/status/1946161112908714112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

SYRIA-RELIGION-CHRISTIANITY-PALM SUNDAY

‘Look At The Massacres’: Syrian Priest Posts Desperate Plea As Islamist Attacks Intensify

Catholic

Global Politics

Islamists

Syrian forces loyal to Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), are attacking and reportedly slaughtering members of that country’s Druze community, prompting Israel to strike back to protect them.
Al-Jolani was previously the leader of Jabhat al-Nusra, an Al-Qaeda affiliate, before taking over Syria in the wake of the defeat of former President Bashar al-Assad. On Tuesday, HTS forces entered the Druze-majority city of Sweida.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Suwayda: Syrian regime personnel brutally beat <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Druze?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Druze</a> who are handcuffed with their hands behind their backs.
This is what European leaders are giving a pass to. <a href="https://t.co/rtLj6tCrLB">pic.twitter.com/rtLj6tCrLB</a>
&mdash; Dr. Fundji Benedict (@Fundji3) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fundji3/status/1945119503374819672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This is how being a Druze right now in south <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Syria?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Syria</a> feels like. This young man whispers into the camera asking for help, says Islamist Syrian government&#39;s Military Police are currently firing on his house, causing fires. His family is suffocating and moving between rooms to… <a href="https://t.co/Bzb7LHtgwX">pic.twitter.com/Bzb7LHtgwX</a>
&mdash; Hussain Abdul-Hussain (@hahussain) <a href="https://twitter.com/hahussain/status/1945472361722978598?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
“A Suweida resident told BBC Arabic the situation in the city was &#8216;catastrophic,&#8217; with indiscriminate shooting prompting people to &#8216;flee towards the countryside&#8217; despite a curfew declared by Syrian authorities,” the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c89e3j4e911o">reported</a>.
“A people that survived the Holocaust will not stay silent as a peaceful community is slaughtered on its border. The West’s silence and hypocrisy over Syria’s horrors will not be forgotten. This is a war of light vs. darkness-good vs. evil,” Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, wrote on X.
The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-clashes-druze-israel-92a72655b85fba1d0b12cc36ffe2cef3">reported</a> on Wednesday that Syrian officials and Druze leaders announced a ceasefire, adding, &#8220;It was not immediately clear if the new agreement, announced by Syrian Interior Ministry and in a video message by a Druze religious leader, would hold.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
A people that survived the Holocaust will not stay silent as a peaceful community is slaughtered on its border. 
The West’s silence and hypocrisy over Syria’s horrors will not be forgotten.
This is a war of light vs. darkness-good vs. evil. <a href="https://t.co/CIAxdAqPxI">pic.twitter.com/CIAxdAqPxI</a>
&mdash; עמיחי שיקלי &#8211; Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmichaiChikli/status/1945473639505080376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The report of a ceasefire came after the Israel Defense Forces hit the military headquarters and the Presidential Palace in Damascus with airstrikes. Druze in Sweida showed their gratitude to Israel for defending them by flying the Israeli flag.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
WATCH
The Druze hang an Israeli flag on the roof of one of the buildings in Suwayda, Syria. <a href="https://t.co/0bMSmSvP56">pic.twitter.com/0bMSmSvP56</a>
&mdash; Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/1945470425925816752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
According to the <a href="https://gjia.georgetown.edu/2025/04/21/the-druze-community-in-israel-a-model-of-minority-integration/#:~:text=The%20Druze%20in%20the%20Israeli%20Military&amp;text=With%20over%2080%20percent%20of,as%20generals%20and%20unit%20commanders.">Georgetown Journal of International Affairs</a>, as far back as the 1930s, Muslims assassinated “prominent Druze figures advocating collaboration with Jews,” and Druze served valiantly with Jews in Israel’s War of Independence. In 1957, as requested by the leaders of the Druze community, the Israeli government designated Druze Israelis as a distinct religious community. More than 80 percent of Druze men enlist in the IDF; many Druze soldiers have fallen in the fight against Hamas in Gaza.
Many Druze residents of the Golan Heights have <a href="https://www.shomrim.news/eng/the-end-of-the-taboo">applied for Israeli citizenship</a>, especially after the Hezbollah rocket attack that killed 12 Druze children playing soccer in Majdal Shams in July 2024.
In 2017, two Druze border police officers, Haiel Sitawe, 30, and Kamil Shnaan, 22, were shot dead in a Palestinian terrorist attack on the Temple Mount. Sitawe was the father of a three-week-old son; Shnaan was planning to announce his engagement to his girlfriend the following week. In 2014, Druze police officer Zidan Seif died from wounds he suffered protecting Jews praying at a Jerusalem synagogue during a terrorist attack; he had a seven-month-old daughter.
Rabbi Yaakov Kermaier, the president of Yakir, an organization focused on Druze-Jewish relations, told the <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2017/07/14/temple-mount-terrorist-attack-highlights-deep-bonds-between-jewish-and-druze-communities-says-israeli-rabbi/">Algemeiner</a> that for Druze, they regarded the deaths as destiny, adding, “It’s very painful, but they are also very proud that their young people make the same sacrifices as the young Jewish women and men who defend Israel.”

TOPSHOT-ISRAEL-SYRIA-CONFLICT-GOLAN-DRILLS

Israel Strikes Syria To Protect Druze Allies Being Slaughtered By Syrian Forces

Politics

President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday lifting sanctions on Syria, the latest step in warming relations between Trump and Syria&#8217;s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa.
The executive order, Providing for the Revocation of Syria Sanctions, will terminate various sanctions programs on Syria and the national emergency with respect to Syria, beginning on January 1, according to the Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“These actions reflect the President’s vision of fostering a new relationship between the United States and a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors,” Rubio said in a statement. “U.S. sanctions will not be an impediment to Syria’s future.”
The announcement comes after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-lifting-syria-sanctions-could-transform-the-middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with Sharaa</a> — who toppled Syria&#8217;s anti-American dictator, Bashar al-Assad — during his visit to Gulf nations in May. After the meeting, Trump described the terrorist turned head of state as a “young attractive guy” with a “very strong past.” The meeting between Trump and Sharaa was the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years.
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said of Sharaa. “I spoke with [Turkish] President Erdogan, who is very friendly with him. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn-up country.”
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-sk="tooltip_parent" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
Al-Assad was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-mohammad-al-jolani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">toppled by Sharaa</a> and his U.S.-designated terrorist organization, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, in December. Sharaa, who was once affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, had a $10 million <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c07gv3j818ko" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI bounty</a> on his head for almost a decade before it was lifted in 2024.
Rubio said he will also take “appropriate action” with regard to the Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group, and review the Specially Designated Global Terrorist designations of the group and Sharaa.
Rubio will also reexamine Syria’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism, enacted in 1979.
“Today’s actions mark the beginning of a new chapter for the people of Syria as they work to shape a future that is safe, stable, and successful,” Rubio added.
The executive order also states that Rubio will determine if the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, signed by Trump in 2019, should be suspended. The act sanctioned the former Syrian government for war crimes and designated several Syrian industries, but includes a provision for the president to waive sanctions if certain conditions are met.
Sanctions will remain on Assad, his associates, human rights abusers, traffickers, people linked to Syria’s past proliferation activities, ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates, and Iran and its terrorist proxies.
The executive order will also relax some restrictions on exports to Syria.
&#8220;This is in an effort to promote and support the country&#8217;s path to stability and peace,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday. “The order will remove sanctions on Syria while maintaining sanctions on the former president Assad and his associates, human rights abusers, drug traffickers, persons linked to chemical weapons activities, ISIS and their affiliates, and Iranian proxies.”
According to the order, “the United States is committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and neighbors” and a “Syria that does not offer a safe haven for terrorist organizations and ensures the security of its religious and ethnic minorities will support regional security and prosperity.”
It adds that Syria has been transformed in the last six months since Sharaa’s government took over for Assad.
Sharaa has been accused of grave human rights violations and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrias-new-leaders-turn-islamic-law-effort-rebuild-assads-police-2025-01-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly plans</a> to impose strict sharia law in the country. But since taking office, he has also sought to reinvent himself as a moderate force for a tolerant Syria.
He has repeatedly denied that he was a terrorist, including in a PBS interview where he said “it’s a political label that carries no truth or credibility.”
Sharaa has worked hard to grow relations with Trump since he took office, including signaling he would be willing to normalize relations with Israel, allow the United States to have access to Syrian oil and gas, and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-tower-damascus-syria-seeks-charm-us-president-sanctions-relief-2025-05-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly stating</a> he wants a Trump Tower in Damascus.

Trump al-Sharaa

Trump Lifts Sanctions On Syria In Sweeping Policy Shift

Donald Trump

Sanctions

State Department

At least 20 Christians were killed and 52 others were wounded on Sunday when a radical Islamic terrorist opened fire in an Orthodox church in Damascus, Syria, and then detonated an explosive vest, according to Syria&#8217;s interior ministry.
The terrorist, affiliated with ISIS, targeted Mar Elias Church in Dweila, on the outskirts of Damascus, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c307n9p43z9o">reported</a>. A person who witnessed the attack told AFP news agency that &#8220;someone entered carrying a weapon&#8221; and began firing at worshipers. A group of church members charged the attacker and &#8220;tried to stop him before he blew himself up,&#8221; the witness added.
Graphic footage of the aftermath of the bombing captured by the Syrian Civil Defence showed bloody bodies on the ground and rows of pews blown to pieces. Some local media reports said that children were among those killed in the terrorist attack, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suicide-bomber-syria-church-dweila/">CBS News</a>.
Issam Nasr, a man who was at the church during the attack, said that he saw people &#8220;blown to bits.&#8221;
&#8220;We have never held a knife in our lives. All we ever carried were our prayers,&#8221; Nasr said.
The bombing marks the first successful jihadist attack on a Christian church in Syria since Bashar al-Assad and his government were toppled by Islamic extremists in December, according to Reuters. The Islamic State was behind multiple other recent attacks on Christian churches in the country, but none were successful.
Interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is part of a Sunni Islamist group that has ties to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly vowed to protect religious minorities in the country, but violence against Christians continues. There are over 500,000 Christians in Syria, and they are regularly the victims of government oppression and Islamic extremism, according to <a href="https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/syria/">Open Doors</a>, which ranks the country at 18th on the list of countries where Christians face the most persecution.

Deadly Blast Kills At Least 20 At Church In Damascus

Jihadist Suicide Bomber Kills 20, Wounds Dozens More At Orthodox Church

Bombings

Christians

Death

Persecution

Radical Islam

Shooting

President Donald Trump concluded his four-day Gulf tour on Friday after securing more than $2 trillion in investment agreements.
“In total, President Trump secured over $2 TRILLION in investment agreements with these three Middle Eastern nations — paving the way for a more safe and prosperous future,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1923344314735718669" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced on X</a>.
After four days of traveling to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, where he was met with lavish ceremonies and generous hospitality, Trump is returning home to the United States, where he will meet his new grandson.
“Now it’s time to go back home,” Trump said in Abu Dhabi. “My daughter had a baby — I&#8217;m going to go back home and see that little baby.&#8221;
Here&#8217;s everything the president did on his Gulf tour.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> in Abu Dhabi: &quot;It&#39;s been a tremendous time and now it&#39;s time to go back home. My daughter had a baby — I&#39;m going to go back home and see that little baby.&quot; ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/ATwbJQPiRp">pic.twitter.com/ATwbJQPiRp</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1923286897561948476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<h3>Saudi Arabia</h3>
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-arrives-in-saudi-arabia-to-kick-off-high-stakes-middle-east-trip?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Arrives+In+Saudi+Arabia+To+Kick+Off+High+Stakes+Middle+East+Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">kicked off his trip</a> Tuesday, landing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia with a Saudi F-15 fighter jet escort, where he was greeted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. After being escorted to the Saudi Royal Court with an escort of Arabian horses, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-historic-investment-deal-from-saudi-arabia-on-first-day-of-middle-east-trip?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Secures+%E2%80%98Historic%E2%80%99+Investment+Deal+From+Saudi+Arabia+On+First+Day+Of+Middle+East+Trip" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump announced </a>that Saudi Arabia committed to investing $600 billion in the United States.
The investment will initially focus on deals that strengthen energy security, the defense industry, technology leadership, and access to global infrastructure and critical minerals. Deals include Saudi company DataVolt investing $20 billion in AI data centers and energy infrastructure, and Shamekh IV Solutions, LLC set to invest $5.8 billion, including in a Michigan high-capacity IV fluid facility.
Other multinational companies, including Google, Oracle, Salesforce, and Uber, have committed to investing $80 billion in “cutting-edge transformative technologies” in both the United States and Saudi Arabia.
“President Trump is the dealmaker in chief, and he has once again secured a historic deal that strengthens America’s economic dominance and global influence,” the White House said in a statement, adding that the investment will build “economic ties that will endure for generations to come.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-on-saudi-arabia-to-join-abraham-accords-my-fervent-hope?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Calls+On+Saudi+Arabia+To+Join+Abraham+Accords%3A+%E2%80%98My+Fervent+Hope%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP CALLS ON SAUDI ARABIA TO JOIN ABRAHAM ACCORDS: ‘MY FERVENT HOPE’</a>
Trump also announced the two countries signed the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hours-into-middle-east-trip-trump-announces-largest-defense-sales-deal-in-u-s-history?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=7&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Hours+Into+Middle+East+Trip%2C+Trump+Announces+Largest+Defense+Sales+Deal+In+U.S.+History" target="_blank" rel="noopener">largest defense sales agreement</a> in history, totaling $142 billion, providing Saudi Arabia with air force advancement and space capabilities, air and missile defense, maritime and coastal security, border security and land forces modernization, and information and communication systems.
During a speech later that night, Trump urged Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords.
<div id="attachment_919597" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-919597" class="size-large wp-image-919597" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-864x576.jpg" alt="Trump Saudi" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214859454-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
“It’s been an amazing thing, the Abraham Accords, and it’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia — a place I have such respect for, especially over the last fairly short period of time, what you’ve been able to do — but will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” Trump said.
During his first term, Trump brokered the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking agreement between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, that ended decades of formal hostilities. Shortly afterward, Sudan and Morocco also joined the agreement.
Trump has long sought to expand the agreement to include Saudi Arabia, but the ongoing war in Israel has complicated those efforts.
Trump also announced he would lift sanctions on Syria, arguing that removing penalties imposed on the former dictatorship would give the new leadership a chance — despite its leader’s terrorist history.
Trump said removing the sanctions would give Syria “a chance at greatness.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-lifting-syria-sanctions-could-transform-the-middle-east?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+Lifting+Syria+Sanctions+Could+Transform+The+Middle+East" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP LIFTING SYRIA SANCTIONS COULD TRANSFORM THE MIDDLE EAST</a>
The next day, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom he described as a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
The meeting between Trump and Sharaa was the first meeting between an American president and a Syrian leader in 25 years.
<h3>Qatar</h3>
On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-welcomed-in-qatar-with-parade-of-camels-and-teslas-this-is-what-they-call-perfecto?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Welcomed+In+Qatar+With+Parade+Of+Camels+And+Teslas%3A+%E2%80%98This+Is+What+They+Call+Perfecto%E2%80%99" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump arrived in Qatar</a> with a fighter jet escort, becoming the first American president to visit the oil-rich Gulf nation. He was greeted by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, and escorted by Qatari police in <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922619883935637726" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tesla Cybertrucks</a> to the Amiri Diwan, where he received an elaborate reception featuring Qataris on horses and camels.
Trump thanked the Qataris for the warm greeting, saying that he appreciated the camels and hadn’t “seen camels like that in a long time.”
“That was some greeting. We appreciate it very much.”
Before arriving in Qatar, Trump faced controversy over reports that he is preparing to accept a $400 million Boeing 747 jumbo jet from the Qatari government, intended as a replacement for the aging 40-year-old Air Force One. The plane is reportedly set to be transferred to the Trump Presidential Library Foundation shortly before he leaves office. However, during his visit to Qatar, the jet deal took a backseat as Trump announced more massive economic agreements.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
Qatar signed an agreement with Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, alongside President Trump, to purchase 210 American-made Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines, according to the White House. The purchase is the largest 787 order in the American company’s history.
“It’s the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing, that’s pretty good,” Trump said.  “It’s over $200 billion… Congratulations to Boeing. Get those planes out there!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> in Qatar: &quot;We&#39;re with you all the way.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/coZWPkOnau">pic.twitter.com/coZWPkOnau</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922656759765700981?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 14, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Qatar also signed a letter of intent to purchase $2 billion worth of MQ-9B Reaper drones and $1 billion in counter-drone technology, becoming the first international customer for Raytheon’s Fixed Site–Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), designed to neutralize small unmanned aircraft.
Letters of intent were also signed between Qatar and the United States to “further strengthen our security partnership,” the White House said in a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/05/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-secures-historic-1-2-trillion-economic-commitment-in-qatar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, outlining up to $38 billion in potential defense and security-related investments.
“The United States is in a very strong position militarily,” Trump said, sitting next to Al-Thani. “We have the best equipment anywhere in the world and you’re buying a lot of that equipment actually.”
According to Leavitt, the total agreements with Qatar will generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion.
Trump’s warm reception in Qatar stands in contrast to the president’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/qatar-doesnt-give-things-away-for-free" target="_blank" rel="noopener">June 2017 statements</a> on the country, in which he had accused the nation of backing terrorism.
<div id="attachment_920159" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920159" class="size-large wp-image-920159" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214411835-864x576.jpg" alt="Trump and Qatari leader" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214411835-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214411835-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214411835-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214411835.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Qatar&#8217;s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Trump (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
“The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said.
Qatar continues to fund terrorist groups, giving over $2 billion to the Hamas-run government in Gaza, according to the <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/19/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Foundation for Defense of Democracies</a>. For several years, Hamas also hosted the leadership of Hamas, though many left Qatar last year.
Before leaving Qatar, Trump visited American troops at the Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar — the largest American military facility in the Middle East. Delivering a speech to the troops who he called “tip of the spear” in the fight against the “enemies of civilization” Trump spoke about his Middle East goals and promised to give them a raise.
“You are without a doubt the greatest fighting force in the history of the world,” Trump said. “That’s the way it is. I said it last night. I said it’s strong. We have the strongest military in the world. It’s not even a contest. We have the best equipment, nobody has equipment like us, nobody has the planes or the missiles or anything else.”
<h3>United Arab Emirates</h3>
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-welcomed-to-uae-with-fighter-jets-and-ceremonial-hair-dances-on-last-leg-of-gulf-tour?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Welcomed+To+UAE+With+Fighter+Jets+and+Ceremonial+Hair+Dances+On+Last+Leg+of+Gulf+Tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touched down</a> in the UAE on Thursday with his third fighter jet escort and was greeted by UAE leader Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, making him the second serving American president to visit the UAE, after former President George W. Bush in 2008.
Trump was welcomed with a ceremony that included dignitaries, music, an honor guard, and Emirati women doing a traditional dance with their hair.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The welcome ceremony in UAE continues! 🇺🇸🇦🇪 <a href="https://t.co/sXqS1IboMN">pic.twitter.com/sXqS1IboMN</a>
&mdash; Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) <a href="https://twitter.com/MargoMartin47/status/1922995639455044017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with Nahyan before announcing his third series of large economic deals.
The United States and the UAE agreed upon $200 billion in “transformative deals” including Boeing and GE Aerospace securing a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways for 28 Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft and a $4 billion investment by Emirates Global Aluminum to build one of the first new American aluminum smelters in 45 years. Other deals announced relate to the energy, technology, and mineral sectors.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-hostage-edan-alexander-reunites-family?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Hostage+Edan+Alexander+Reunites+With+Parents+After+584+Days+In+Hamas+Captivity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMERICAN HOSTAGE EDAN ALEXANDER REUNITES WITH PARENTS AFTER 584 DAYS IN HAMAS CAPTIVITY</a>
“President Trump’s historic visit to the United Arab Emirates is another opportunity to welcome new partnerships in frontier technologies, health and life sciences, mobility, entertainment, and many other fields,” the White House <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/1923097611063513298" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
<div id="attachment_920615" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-920615" class="size-large wp-image-920615" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214578262-864x576.jpg" alt="Trump in Abu Dhabi" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214578262-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214578262-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214578262-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/05/GettyImages-2214578262.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />The director-general of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Trump in Abu Dhabi. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
All of the deals announced were on top of a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-1-4-trillion-uae-investment-deal-for-american-industries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March $1.4 trillion commitment</a> from the UAE to invest in the sectors of American energy, manufacturing, and technology over the next decade.
During the visit, Trump also visited the interfaith Abrahamic Family House in Abu Dhabi, which includes the St. Francis Church, the <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1923312209339318671" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue</a>, and the Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque.
Trump had a strong relationship with the UAE in his first term, most evident in the success of the Abraham Accords, which normalized the Gulf country’s relations with Israel and ushered in religious tolerance.
At the Abrahamic Family House, Trump signed its guest book with a message to the Emirati people.
“It&#8217;s just a message of unity when you look at what we&#8217;ve just seen — great unity, great faith, incredible people with a tremendous leader,” <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1923314106452382018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump said</a>, holding up the book.

UAE-US-DIPLOMACY-TRUMP

Deals And Diplomacy: Here’s Everything Trump Accomplished On His Gulf Tour

Abraham Accords

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday, marking the first time that top leaders from the two countries have met in more than two decades.
During the meeting, Trump pressed al-Sharaa to help the United States combat ISIS, remove all foreign terrorists from Syria, and normalize relations with Israel, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/who-is-syrian-rebel-leader-mohammad-al-jolani" target="_blank" rel="noopener">al-Sharaa</a>, who overthrew former Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December, reportedly spoke for about 33 minutes.
“He’s got a real shot at holding it together,” Trump said of al-Sharaa. “I spoke with [Turkish] President Erdogan, who is very friendly with him. He feels he’s got a shot of doing a good job. It’s a torn-up country.”
Trump also called al-Sharaa a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter.”
The meeting came after Trump announced on Tuesday that he was dropping sanctions on Syria &#8220;in order to give them a chance at greatness.&#8221;
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That’s what we want to see,” Trump said during a speech in Saudi Arabia.
Leavitt said that Trump was invited to meet with al-Sharaa by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting by phone. It was the first meeting between an American and Syrian president in 25 years.
&#8220;President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi Arabia to encourage peace and prosperity in Syria,&#8221; Leavitt <a href="https://x.com/PressSec/status/1922567846317392240" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. &#8220;The Crown Prince also commended President Trump for his decision to lift the sanctions, calling it courageous. President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship, and told President Al-Sharaa that he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country. President Trump encouraged President Al-Sharaa to do a great job for the Syrian people.&#8221;
Leavitt said Trump &#8220;urged&#8221; al-Sharaa to &#8220;sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel&#8221; and &#8220;assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria.&#8221;
The two also discussed their &#8220;shared interests&#8221; of countering terrorism and eliminating chemical weapons, according to Leavitt. Al-Sharaa, who has portrayed himself as a moderate, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/syrias-jihadist-president-calls-for-peace-as-his-forces-slaughter-political-and-ethnic-minorities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously been tied to</a> various terrorist groups like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Al-Qaeda.
&#8220;President Al-Sharaa affirmed his commitment to the 1974 disengagement with Israel. President Al-Sharaa concluded with his hope that Syria would serve as a critical link in facilitating trade between east and west, and invited American companies to invest in Syrian oil and gas,&#8221; Leavitt said.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry said during the meeting that Trump “affirmed that the administration in Washington is committed to playing a positive and constructive role during this sensitive period.”
Shortly after the meeting with al-Sharaa, Trump left for Qatar for the second stop of his Middle East trip.

Donald Trump – Ahmed al-Shara meeting in Riyadh

Trump Lauds Syrian President As ‘Attractive’ And ‘Tough’ After Vowing To Remove Sanctions

Executive

Speaking from Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued a firm warning to foreign leaders: his priority is defending the United States of America, and he will do so using &#8220;overwhelming strength&#8221; and &#8220;devastating force&#8221; if necessary.
&#8220;In recent years, far too many American presidents have been afflicted with the notion that it&#8217;s our job to look into the souls of foreign leaders and use U.S. policy to dispense justice for their sins,&#8221; Trump said during the U.S.-Saudi investment forum in Riyadh. &#8220;They loved using our very powerful military. And now it&#8217;s really the most powerful it&#8217;s ever been &#8230; we&#8217;re getting the greatest missiles, the greatest weapons.&#8221;
Trump emphasized that the United States believes in peace through strength, arguing that &#8220;bad things could happen&#8221; if the United States was not powerful and in a position to defend itself.
&#8220;It is God&#8217;s job to sit in judgment, my job to defend America, and to promote the fundamental interests of stability, prosperity, and peace,&#8221; he said Tuesday. &#8220;That&#8217;s what I really want to do.&#8221;
Trump also announced plans to lift sanctions on Syria, sharing that he made the decision after he discussed the matter with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmampz0yb000a3b6r62d85ei0@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">“Syria, they’ve had their share of travesty, war, killing in many years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;That’s why my administration has already taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade.&#8221;
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmampz0yb000a3b6r62d85ei0@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Syria&#8217;s foreign minister in Turkey this week, Trump noted, sharing: “The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served as an important — really an important function — nevertheless, at the time. But now it’s their time to shine.&#8221;
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmampz0yb000a3b6r62d85ei0@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">He added: &#8220;So I say, ‘Good luck, Syria.’ Show us something very special.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;After discussing the situation in Syria with the Crown Prince and also with President Erdogan of Turkey&#8230; among others in the Middle East, I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria, in order to give them a chance at greatness.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/JG3gx3Nn6D">pic.twitter.com/JG3gx3Nn6D</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1922327334863946039?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmamq2wvn000c3b6rc8aqrbs2@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">During his remarks, the president outlined his vision for the future of the Middle East and how he seeks to create a more stable region and peaceful world. He contrasted the path taken by Gulf nations to the path taken by the Iranian regime, offering Iran a different path to a brighter future.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmamq2wvn000c3b6rc8aqrbs2@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">&#8220;I am here today not merely to condemn the past choices of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new and a better path toward a much more hopeful future,&#8221; Trump argued, adding, &#8220;As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be profound.&#8221;
The president also praised some Middle Eastern leaders and touted &#8220;the transformation that has occurred under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed&#8221; in Saudi Arabia, calling it &#8220;truly extraordinary.&#8221;
According to the White House, Trump secured a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia for investments in the United States, including a defense partnership worth about $142 billion.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cmamq2wvn000c3b6rc8aqrbs2@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">&#8220;If the responsible nations of this region seize this moment, put aside your differences and focus on the interests that unite you,&#8221; the president said, &#8220;then all of humanity will soon be amazed at what they will see right here in the geographic center of the world &#8230;  and the spiritual heart of its greatest faiths.&#8221;

SAUDI-US-DIPLOMACY-ECONOMY-FORUM

From The Middle East, Trump Vows To Defend America With ‘Devastating Force’

Iran

Middle East

On Wednesday, Republicans on the House Committee on Homeland Security advanced a number of bills to combat terrorism, strengthen security at the border, and counter the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts against America.
“I am proud of this Committee’s work to advance legislation that protects Americans from growing threats to our homeland and our way of life,” Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) stated. “For far too long, the CCP has tried to influence American higher education, target and harass dissidents on U.S. soil, and infiltrate our critical infrastructure and government networks. Today, this Committee stood up to China, advancing bills from Chairman Pfluger and Rep. Ogles to counter the real and growing threat they pose in our own backyard.”
“We also will not forget the serious threats sparked by the Biden-Harris administration’s historic border crisis. That’s why Committee Republicans advanced bills from Reps. [Marjorie Taylor] Greene and [Clay] Higgins to demand transparency on the number of Special Interest Aliens encountered at our borders and enhance efforts to detect deadly drugs like fentanyl at our land ports of entry,” he continued. “I look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to swiftly pass these bills to increase transparency and give Custom (sic) and Border Protection (CBP) more enforcement tools.”
Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee Chairman Rep. August Pfluger’s (R-TX)  bill, H.R. 881, the “DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act,” would restrict DHS from funding American universities that host a Confucius Institute and require &#8220;certain disclosures related to Chinese entities of concern.&#8221;
Rep. Pfluger also introduced H.R. 2158, the “Countering Transnational Repression Act of 2025,” which would establish a dedicated transnational repression working group with DHS, thus protecting Chinese and Iranian dissidents who voice criticism of their countries’ despotic governments.
Rep. Clay Higgins’ (R-LA) bill, H.R. 1569, the “CATCH Fentanyl Act,” would further empower CBP to test and evaluate new technologies for deployment at U.S. points of entry.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) bill, H.R. 275, the “Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2024,” would require DHS to publicly release information monthly on the number of special interest alien encounters.
Rep. Morgan Luttrell’s (R-TX) bill, H.R. 1327, the “Syria Terrorism Threat Assessment Act, would ensure the Department of Homeland Security conducts an assessment of terrorist threats the United States posed by individuals in Syria with an affiliation to a foreign terrorist organization or a specially designated global terrorist organization.
Rep. Andy Ogles’ (R-TN) bill, H.R. 2659, the “Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act,” would target the escalating cybersecurity threats from the Chinese Communist Party and its state-sponsored cyber actors. oil.”

Republican Lawmakers Hold News Conference On Mayorkas Impeachment

House GOP Committee Advances Bills To Protect Homeland

China

Chinese Communist Party

Communist China

Congress

House Committee on Homeland Security

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned the new Syrian regime that it would “pay a heavy price” if it allowed forces hostile to the Jewish state to enter Syria.
“If you allow forces hostile to Israel to enter Syria and endanger Israel’s security interests, you will pay a heavy price,” Katz said following Israeli strikes on Syrian military infrastructure remaining from the Bashar Al-Assad regime. “Israel will not allow Syria to become a threat to its communities and security interests.” 
Katz, speaking to Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, said the strikes were a “warning for the future.”
“The IDF struck military capabilities that remained at the Syrian bases of Hama and T4, along with additional remaining military infrastructure sites in the area of Damascus in the past few hours,”  the IDF said in a Wednesday statement <a href="https://x.com/IDF/status/1907521357333819550">posted</a> to X. “The IDF will continue to operate to remove any threat to Israeli civilians.”
The Hama airport was almost entirely destroyed, according to <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-848620">Syria’s Foreign Ministry.</a>
Syria condemned the attacks as an “unjustified escalation,” <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ce92g5nk55eo">reported BBC</a>
Experts believe that Israel’s strikes were meant to convey a message to Turkey that Israel opposes it spreading its influence amid reports that Turkey was moving to put aircraft and air defenses at airbases in Syria.
In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4OXPx-LkiM">press conference</a> on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa&#8217;ar accused Turkey of trying to make Syria into a Turkish “protectorate.”
“They play a negative role in Syria, they play a negative role in Lebanon &#8230; They have aspirations all over the region and other regions of the world,” Sa’ar said. “They are doing their utmost to have Syria as a Turkish protectorate. It’s clear that this is their intention.”
Sa’ar added that just as Israel opposed Iranian influence in Syria during the previous regime, it opposed Turkey filling the void.
“We don’t think it was good when Syria was an Iranian proxy, and we don’t think that Syria should be a Turkish protectorate,” he said.
Israel has had troops stationed in a buffer zone in recent months to protect any hostile actors in Syria from attacking the Jewish state.
Israel, which has a sizable Druze community with many members who serve in the Israeli Defense Forces, also <a href="https://www.jns.org/idf-prepares-to-defend-druze-suburb-of-damascus-against-syrian-regime/">vowed to protect</a> the Syrian Druze from any harm and has shipped humanitarian aid to Druze villages.
Last month, a group of Israeli Christians <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/israeli-christians-call-for-world-leaders-to-protect-syrian-christians">gathered at Israel’s border</a> with Syria in the Golan Heights to demand that the European Union, Israel, and the United States protect Christians in Syria.

Netanyahu visits the peak of Hermon Mount in Syria

Israel Warns Syria Will ‘Pay A Heavy Price’ If Hostile Forces Are Allowed To Enter Country

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Menu