Damascus is taking one of its most sensitive steps since the fall of the ousted President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, as it approaches its formal joining of the international coalition to fight ISIS, which is expected to be announced during President Ahmed al-Shara’a’s visit to Washington.
The official Syrian News Agency (SANA) reported that President Al-Sharaa arrived yesterday, Sunday, in the American capital on an official visit, where he is scheduled to meet tomorrow, Monday, with US President Donald Trump at the White House.
This visit is recorded as a precedent in Syrian political history as it is the first by a Syrian president to the White House, and the second by Al-Shara to the United States after his participation in the United Nations General Assembly meetings last September.
The American envoy to Syria, Tom Burke, announced that President Al-Sharaa would sign a partnership document during his visit that places Syria within this international coalition led by the United States.
Barak stressed that this accession represents a major transformation not only for Syria, but for the entire region, which reflects the size of the political and diplomatic stakes associated with this step.
But this transformation, despite the potential gains it brings, places Syria facing sensitive internal issues related to the balance of sovereign decision-making, as well as security repercussions that may affect the military structure and the internal issue of combating extremist groups.
Strengthening international legitimacy
With the expected shift in Syria’s position within the international system, Damascus’s joining the international coalition against ISIS is seen as a step that goes beyond its military dimension, opening the door to the reintegration of the Syrian state into the global diplomatic scene, after years of isolation and sanctions.
Observers believe that the step represents the beginning of a new phase in Syrian politics, with the transitional government led by Al-Sharaa attempting to reintegrate Syria into the international system and balance its relations between the East and the West.
According to a study issued by the “Jusoor Studies” Center, joining the coalition will enhance the government’s legitimacy at the international level, and thus push the pace of lifting international sanctions against it, especially the UN sanctions imposed against the backdrop of the classification of some Syrian leadership figures on terrorist lists.
These developments will allow for an improvement in the economic conditions in the country through the entry of investments and projects that are still stalled by these sanctions.
The study confirms that accession represents a real break with the approach of the Assad regime, which caused Syria to be classified as a state sponsor of terrorism, and imposed isolation and political and economic sanctions on it, and returns Syria to its Arab and regional surroundings as a state that does not threaten its neighbors, and maintains and is committed to international peace and security.
In this context, the founder of the “Syria Freedom Road” organization, Hisham Nashwati, explained in a statement to Al Jazeera Net that this step gives the new government international legitimacy and official recognition greater than the coalition’s gains, and reflects a commitment to stability and participation in confronting a common enemy, which is ISIS, which preserves Syria and helps the coalition, indicating that it is a message from the coalition to provide stability and contribute to the unity of the country.
The Syrian leadership has always emphasized its endeavor to restore Syria’s natural position in the international community after decades of isolation through its participation in regional and international conferences and events.
US President Donald Trump said in a press conference, “The Syrian president may come to the White House and he is working hard. We lifted the sanctions on Syria in order to give it a chance, and I heard that its president is doing a very good job.”
Withdrawing the terrorism file from the hands of “SDF”
Syria’s expected accession to the international coalition represents an opportunity for Damascus to restore one of the most sensitive cards in the security scene, which is the fight against terrorism in eastern Syria, which the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) monopolized for years with direct support from Washington.
Nawar Shaaban Qabaqibou, a researcher in security and military affairs, from the Arab Center for Contemporary Syrian Studies, believes that the importance of this step comes from the potential political gains, which is the Syrian government’s restoration of its role in the fight against terrorism on the eastern bank of the Euphrates, after its monopoly by the SDF forces since 2015.
Qabaqibo added to Al Jazeera Net that joining the coalition puts Damascus in the position of a direct partner of Washington to fight ISIS, which reduces the legitimacy of the current local proxy, the SDF, and this matter opens the door to new security arrangements and may restore balance to the Syrian Al Jazeera region.
In the same direction, researcher Mahmoud Alloush said, in a statement to Al Jazeera Net, that Damascus joining the international coalition against ISIS will make Syria a major regional partner for Washington and the West in combating terrorism.
Alloush explained that this step is an expected result of the shift in American preferences, when the United States finds new partners representing countries, not groups, in the fight against terrorism, and they are, of course, of higher value and effectiveness.
Recently, there has been a noticeable increase in joint operations carried out by the coalition and the Syrian government, most notably the raid carried out on August 20, 2025, with coordination and support from government forces, during which a senior Iraqi leader in the Islamic State, Salah Numan al-Jubouri, was killed.
Security and military expertise
Observers believe that Syria’s joining the international coalition opens a wide door to improving its security and intelligence capabilities, after years of exhaustion of its military institutions and a decline in their efficiency in confronting extremist cells.
Political researcher Diaa Qaddour confirms that coordination with the coalition represents a starting point for rebuilding the security sector, meaning that this cooperation allows the new Syrian army to gain qualitative experiences and training, in addition to the flow of intelligence information necessary to combat ISIS sleeper cells.
Qaddour added in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that this gain is important for a military institution that has suffered deterioration and fragmentation during the 14 years of the Syrian war.
Academically, this intelligence cooperation is viewed as a vital element for improving operational efficiency and preventing the terrorist threat from turning into a long-term threat to internal stability, adds researcher Qaddour.
In a related context, the Middle East Institute report stated that, at the military level, Syria will have an opportunity to obtain direct technical and operational support from the United States and the coalition countries to participate effectively in joint operations against the organization.
The report indicated that from the security aspect, Damascus will be able to access the coalition’s information exchange systems, including verifying the identity of new recruits within the Ministries of Defense and Interior, to prevent ISIS elements from infiltrating government agencies.
The institute quoted a senior source in the Public Security Directorate as saying that the recent coordination between Damascus and the coalition leadership included multiple operational agreements, most notably: the exchange of intelligence information between the reconnaissance unit in the Ministry of Interior and the international coalition’s operations rooms, paving the way for the establishment of more institutional and sustainable security cooperation channels.
Possible internal tensions
Syria’s accession to the international coalition represents an internal challenge that goes beyond the political and military dimension, reaching the ideological and ideological dimension, especially among extremist Islamic factions and immigrant fighters who reject any rapprochement with the United States or the West.
A report by the Middle East Institute, issued on October 27, indicates the presence of opposition from internal elements that oppose cooperation with Western powers, which may impede any future partnership, which, according to the report, requires both Damascus and the coalition to take proactive steps to reassure these parties and dispel fears related to sovereignty or external influence.
For his part, researcher Diaa Qaddour expects that any rapid rapprochement with Washington or security understandings with Israel may threaten to generate widespread internal divisions, turn some immigrant fighters and rejectionist movements into a violent opposition force, or facilitate their organization under the banner of extremist organizations.
According to Qaddour, this scenario requires President Al-Sharaa to adopt a precise “containment and integration” strategy and adopt an inclusive national discourse to prevent undermining stability from within before the state can benefit from external gains.
Signs of this tension appeared on the ground in early October, when an American plane carried out a raid targeting a leader in an extremist Islamic group known as “Ansar al-Islam” in northwestern Syria.
Al-Monitor quoted a security official in Damascus as saying, “We told the Americans that we no longer want their military presence in these operations. We have been fighting ISIS for years, and they can provide us with information only if necessary.”
The official explained that this position came as a result of the discomfort of some segments of the Syrian people with direct military cooperation with the United States in fighting ISIS.
Between partnership and dependence on Washington
Despite the political and security gains that joining the international coalition brings, internal fears are raised that this step will turn into a gateway to restricting the independence of national decision-making, or making Damascus in a position of subordination to Washington, especially since the coalition is historically linked to American interests and its direct roles in the Middle East.
The researcher in security and military affairs, Nawar Shaaban Qabaqibou, warns that the most dangerous point in this issue is the political dependency on Washington, because the step to join the international coalition carries many opportunities. However, the connection of the international coalition to fight terrorism with American interests makes this matter a double-edged sword. Washington may invest in security cooperation to impose political agendas affecting internal files, such as restructuring the security services, or the future of the relationship with Russia, for example.
Qabaqibou warns against repeating the experience of political dependence, as the deposed regime did when it was dependent on Russia and Iran. Therefore, what is most important today is to transform this accession from mere participation into a balanced partnership that guarantees security gains without losing the independence of national decision-making.
In this context, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani confirmed that Al-Sharaa’s visit to Washington “will be a pivotal step in rearranging the relationship with the United States.”
Al-Shaibani added during his participation in the Manama Dialogue Forum that there are many topics being talked about, starting with lifting sanctions and opening a new page between the United States and Syria, indicating that the Syrian government wants a very strong partnership with Washington.