Syria’s leader has come up with a plan to get the attention of the United States. Part of this plan? A Trump Tower right in the heart of Damascus. This offer is not just about a building. It’s part of a bigger push to convince the U.S. to ease tough sanctions that have made life extremely hard in Syria after 14 years of war. These sanctions have blocked Syria from trading normally and kept it away from the world’s money system.
According to people familiar with the plan, Syria’s leader hopes that by offering business opportunities like oil, gas, and real estate, he can persuade the U.S. president to sit down and talk. The idea is that if the U.S. sees a chance to make deals, it might rethink its harsh stance against Syria.
An American activist who supports Trump recently spent four hours in Damascus meeting with the Syrian leader. During their conversation, Syria’s leader made it clear: he wants to change the country’s image. He spoke about making peace with neighboring countries, cooperating with the U.S. against shared enemies, and even opening doors to Israel—one of Syria’s old foes. He also highlighted a personal bond with Trump, pointing out that both of them have survived attempts on their lives.
Syria has been struggling to meet the long list of demands set by the U.S. to get any relief from the sanctions. These demands include removing foreign fighters from powerful military positions and making serious political changes. So far, the U.S. has said that Syria’s efforts have not been enough.
Ministers of Qatar & Turkey Urge Lifting of Sanctions to Ease Syrian Suffering
A Meeting That May Never Happen
There is an ongoing effort behind the scenes to set up a meeting between Syria’s leader and the U.S. president during Trump’s trip to the Middle East. Trump is visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, and some people are pushing hard to get Syria on his radar during this tour. However, most experts believe such a meeting is highly unlikely. Trump’s schedule is already packed, and many people in his team are divided on how to deal with Syria.
Still, there are signs that talks are happening at some level. U.S. officials recently met with Syria’s foreign minister in New York. These talks focused mostly on fighting terrorism, and the American side made it clear that Syria needs to do much more to satisfy U.S. conditions. The list of demands has now grown to more than a dozen, and they include security changes as well as financial reforms.
While Syria’s leader hopes to break through by appealing directly to Trump, many believe that U.S. policy is still stuck in old patterns. Syria is offering deals and promises, but Washington seems cautious and focused on sticking to its list of demands before even thinking about easing sanctions.
Syria’s President Al-Sharaa Open to Peace with Israel, Seeks US Sanctions Lift for Better Relations
Peace Messages and Missile Strikes
One of the biggest goals for Syria is to convince the U.S. that it poses no danger to Israel, America’s close ally. In fact, Syria’s leader has been trying to cool down rising tensions with Israel. Recent reports revealed that Syria and Israel have been quietly talking through backchannels, with the help of other countries like the UAE. These talks aimed to prevent further clashes and bring some calm to the region.
Syria even sent messages to Israel offering peace and cooperation. But despite these efforts, the situation took a bad turn. Israel responded with new airstrikes in Syria, including one near the presidential palace. Israel claimed these strikes were meant to protect minority groups in Syria who are caught in the middle of fighting between different forces.
This back-and-forth has made Syria’s mission even harder. While Syria is offering what it calls an “olive branch”, Israel’s military actions show that trust is still very low. Now, Syrian officials hope that Trump might step in to help fix this broken relationship. They believe that his style of breaking old rules—like when he met with North Korea’s leader—could work in Syria’s case too.
For now, all eyes are on whether this risky and unusual charm offensive, centered around business dreams like a Trump Tower in Damascus, will get any traction with the U.S.
