Sharaa and Trump discuss Syria, Kurdish rights and Islamic State Cooperation

Sharaa and Trump discuss Syria, Kurdish rights and Islamic State Cooperation
U.S. President Donald Trump meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, 14 May, 2025
Reuters

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed developments in Syria during a phone call on Monday, including Kurdish rights and cooperation against Islamic State, the Syrian presidency said.

According to the presidency, both leaders stressed the need to preserve the rights of Kurdish people within the Syrian state and agreed to continue working together to combat Islamic State.

The call came a day after Damascus signed a wide-ranging integration agreement with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), aimed at incorporating Kurdish civilian and military structures into state institutions.

Despite the deal, tensions persisted on Monday in parts of northern Syria, underscoring the fragility of the arrangement following days of fighting.

The agreement marks a significant shift in Syria’s political and security landscape, as Damascus moves to reassert control over territory previously held by the SDF, once the main U.S. ally in the country.

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