IOWA, USA (KCRG) – Iowa’s U.S. Senator Joni Ernst spoke with the Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa ahead of his meeting with President Donald Trump Monday.
Al-Sharaa is the first Syrian head-of-state to visit the White House.
Ernst is the co-chair of the congressional Abraham Accords Caucus.
“I appreciated the opportunity to host President Al-Sharaa for a frank and constructive discussion on the future of U.S.-Syria relations ahead of his meeting at the White House,” Ernst said in a statement.
“President Trump has already shown that he is the peace president, and his decision to engage with Syria as a counterterrorism partner and a potential participant in the Abraham Accords shows his commitment to continue working to deter Iranian aggression. Today’s visit is an important step toward building trust, fostering dialogue, and uniting Syria’s diverse ethnic and religious communities. Under President Trump’s leadership, there is a real opportunity to advance peace in the Middle East and make the vision of a more stable and prosperous world a reality.”
Trump says Syrian leader is ‘strong’ and ‘tough’
Trump called Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa after their meeting a “very strong leader” and suggested the U.S. would work to help the country succeed.
“He comes from a very tough place,” Trump said, adding that al-Sharaa is a “tough guy” and “I like him.”
The president said that al-Sharra has “had a rough past, but he said, “We’ve all had a rough past.”
Trump didn’t provide any policy details about the meeting, but he said, “We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful because that’s part of the Middle East.”
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