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President Donald Trump will welcome Syria's interim leader Ahmad al-Sharaa to the White House on Monday, a first for a Syrian president, capping the former jihadist's rapid transformation from HTS commander to head of state. U.S. officials expect al-Sharaa to commit to the U.S.-led campaign against ISIS, after Washington and allies lifted terrorism designations and eased sanctions. The trip, hailed by analysts as a sign of American trust, comes amid Syria's fraught transition: internal rifts, renewed ISIS threats, tensions with Kurdish authorities and Israel, and a push to scrap remaining sanctions likely to feature in talks.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.