Al-Sharaa to sign anti-ISIS Coalition deal during White House visit
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Syria’s Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa is expected to sign an agreement in Washington on November 10 with U.S. President Donald Trump for Syria to formally join the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat Islamic State (ISIS), U.S. Special Envoy for Syria and Ambassador to Turkey, Tom Barrack, said on Saturday.
During the Manama Dialogue Conference in Bahrain, Barrack said Syria would join the 89 members of the Global Coalition established in 2014 to combat ISIS, which was territorially defeated in 2019 by the Coalition forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) partners.
Analysts say the move formalizes years of covert intelligence cooperation between Damascus and Washington against ISIS and al-Qaeda networks in northern Syria. Aaron Zelin, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Al-Monitor, “This meeting with Trump is the culmination of years of change — Sharaa’s forces have been fighting ISIS since 2013.”
Najib Ghadbian, director of the Center for Strategic Studies at the Syrian Foreign Ministry, said on Saturday that one of the reasons Syria had not joined the anti-ISIS coalition earlier was unresolved issues over command structures involving the SDF’s role.
Ghadbian added, the Syrian transitional government realized that “you can’t move ahead without fixing that part of the country [Northeast Syria],” and warned that if a deal were not reached, simmering tensions between Damascus and the SDF could escalate.
Barrack added that the expected accord could bolster U.S. efforts to persuade Congress to repeal remaining Caesar Act sanctions, which have stifled reconstruction. He expressed optimism that the measure will be included in the National Defense Authorization Act next month.
Since seizing power in early 2025, al-Sharaa has sought to rebuild international ties and restore stability following 14 years of conflict that devastated Syria and displaced millions.
The U.S.-led Coalition’s partnership with the SDF remains central to counterterrorism operations, though tensions persist over command structures and integration. Washington views Syria’s participation as a potential step toward regional stabilization and the eventual lifting of sanctions blocking reconstruction efforts.
The news article was updated.