On November 10, U.S. President Donald Trump received Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, and the pair shared a two-hour meeting behind closed doors.
According to recent reports, Washington and Damascus are on the verge of a significant political realignment, detailed in a proposed U.S.-Syria framework. The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa outlined sweeping security, political, and economic measures that could dramatically alter the balance of power in the Middle East.
This ambitious U.S. attempt to reshape Syria's role comes as the new government in Damascus moves rapidly to reverse a decade of economic collapse, with major UAE investments and the end of crippling public rationing signaling a new era.
The high-level meeting in Washington has already set a new tone. Trump later praised his Syrian counterpart, telling reporters that his tough past will help him rebuild his country, adding, We've all had hard pasts I think, honestly, you don't stand a chance in this region unless you've had one.
According to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, al-Sharaa "spoke frankly" with President Trump about Israeli aggression in southern Syria. Barrack noted that while Syria's new government "has not fired a single bullet," Israel has continued its "aggressive approach."
Critically, the new framework appears to be resolving Syria's complex internal conflicts. Mazloum Abdi, General Commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), posted on X: "I just had a fantastic phone call with Ambassador Tom Barak to discuss the results of the meeting with President al-Sharaa at the White House, and our commitment to accelerating the integration of the SDF into the Syrian state."
Meanwhile, Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yasar Barniya announced a 200% salary increase for public sector employees, alongside reforms targeting equitable pensions for retired military personnel.
Trump inherited a regime-change war in Syria, orchestrated and funded by President Obama and President Joe Biden, which began in 2011 and was heavily supported by the US government, among others.
In 2017, Trump shut down the covert CIA program Timber Sycamore, which cut the funding of the armed opposition in Syria.
The diplomatic thaw is intrinsically linked to Syria's dire economic needs and the new government's aggressive reform agenda. The al-Sharaa administration inherited an economy in ruins.
Under the previous regime of Assad, Syria's economy experienced a catastrophic 14-year collapse:
* GDP: Declined by more than 86% compared to 2011.
* Poverty: Over 90% of the population lived below the poverty line.
* Currency: The currency collapsed to approximately 15,000 SYP per U.S. dollar.
* Wages: The average government salary plummeted to the equivalent of just $17 per month.
* Rationing: Living standards were decimated by severe rationing. Citizens were entitled to just 25 liters of gasoline every 10 to 20 days and 50 liters of diesel for the entire winter. Electricity was infamously supplied for one hour, followed by six hours of blackout.
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