After Gaza humiliation, Trump strikes another blow? US' Syria u-turn leaves Israel scrambling now

After meeting Donald Trump in Washington on November 10, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa claimed that Trump supports Israel’s withdrawal from Syria, according to Times of Israel. Sharaa, who rose to power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024, said Trump’s team is pushing to broker a security agreement between Syria and Israel. While acknowledging progress, he insisted that “there is still a good distance to go” before peace is reached and called for Israel to withdraw to its pre-December 8 borders. The visit, the first official trip by a Syrian leader to the U.S. since 1946, marks a major diplomatic shift. Once viewed as a U.S. adversary, Sharaa is now seen as a potential stabilizing force in Syria as Washington seeks to counter Iranian and Russian influence in the region through renewed engagement.