Syria's Sharaa to visit US in September for UN address

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa is set to visit New York in September to attend and address the United Nations General Assembly, in what would be the first appearance by a Syrian head of state at the UN since 1967, Syria TV reported.

The visit follows a historic meeting between al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump in Riyadh in May 2025, which was the first direct encounter between US and Syrian leaders in over 25 years.

The meeting, brokered by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was widely seen as a turning point in US policy toward Syria and a key enabler of al-Sharaa’s upcoming UN appearance.

In a surprise move ahead of the meeting, Trump announced the full lifting of US sanctions on Syria, a decision that caught even his own advisers off guard.

Al-Sharaa welcomed the announcement, calling it a "historic and courageous decision" that would "alleviate the suffering of the people, contribute to their rebirth, and lay the foundations for stability in the region".