Syrian President al-Sharaa, recently removed from the global “terrorist” list, promises cooperation in the fight against the armed group.
Published on November 11, 2025
Syria has signed up to join the US-led international coalition to combat the armed group ISIL (ISIS).
The announcement, made by Syrian Information Minister Hamza al-Mustafa and US officials, came shortly after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Washington and was welcomed at the White House by US President Donald Trump on Monday.
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Al-Mustafa said a “declaration of political cooperation” signed by Damascus with the international coalition confirms Syria’s role in “fighting terrorism and supporting regional stability.”
“The agreement is political and so far does not contain military components,” he wrote in a post on X.
The deal makes Syria the 90th country to join the coalition, which aims to prevent foreign fighters from joining ISIL’s ranks and eliminate the group’s remaining elements across the Middle East.
The announcement was expected. A spokesman for Syria’s Interior Ministry had announced on Saturday, as al-Sharaa arrived in the United States for his meeting with Trump, that nationwide preventive operations against ISIL cells were underway.
According to state-run Al-Ikhbariah television, Syrian security forces carried out 61 raids, arresting 71 people and seizing explosives and weapons.
On Monday, the Reuters news agency cited unnamed officials as saying Syria had foiled two ISIL plots to assassinate al-Sharaa.
The top Syrian security official and the top Middle East official said the assassination plots were foiled in recent months.
They said the plans underscore the direct threat al-Sharaa faces as it tries to consolidate power in a fragmented country that has been devastated by 14 years of civil war.
The Syrian leader was praised by Trump during their meeting at the White House when he secured a six-month suspension of US sanctions against his country.
The 43-year-old president overthrew former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December in a swift armed offensive.
He previously led Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an armed group affiliated with Al Qaeda. He was removed from Washington’s “terrorist” list last week, canceling a $10 million reward for his capture.
