Ahmed al-Sharaa, better known in the past as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, was once one of America’s most wanted men. A decade ago, he led Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate, orchestrating numerous attacks during the Syrian civil war. The U.S. government placed a $10 million bounty on him, branding him a terrorist threat.
Following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, al-Sharaa emerged as Syria’s de facto leader. His rebranding—casting off militant affiliations and presenting himself as a nationalist leader—has been underway for several years.
Fast forward to May 14, 2025, a photo of al-Sharaa standing beside former US President Donald Trump in Riyadh has stunned international observers. The meeting marks a stunning reversal in US foreign policy and a dramatic transformation of al-Sharaa’s public role.
The US formally lifted sanctions and the bounty against him in late 2024 after receiving intelligence and diplomatic assurances that al-Sharaa had severed ties with al-Qaeda and was cooperating in efforts to prevent terrorist threats against the US and its allies.
Al-Sharaa’s recent overtures included proposing US economic ventures in Syria, such as a Trump Tower in Damascus and access to oil and gas fields—moves widely seen as aimed at attracting Western investment and securing political legitimacy.
While critics view the Trump-al-Sharaa meeting as realpolitik at its most cynical, supporters argue it reflects a pragmatic shift to stabilize Syria and secure American interests.
