News - Middle East: Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)-led regime in Syria, said his association with the al-Qaeda terrorist group was “a matter of the past” and was not brought up in his recent meeting with US President Donald Trump.

“I think this is a matter in the past,” Jolani told Fox News on Monday, adding that Damascus is now seen as a geopolitical ally of Washington and not a threat.

Jolani said his talks with Trump at the White House focused on investment opportunities in Syria.

His office said that the two also discussed “a number of regional and international issues of common interest.”

“He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy,” Trump said of Jolani after the meeting.

“People said he’s had a rough past, we’ve all had rough pasts... And I think, frankly, if you didn’t have a rough past, you wouldn’t have a chance,” he told reporters

Trump further said that he was working with Israel on “getting along with Syria.”

“You can expect some announcements on Syria,” he said when asked about the possibility of a deal between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Jolani received a muted welcome at the White House on Monday, as he entered the building through a side door and was not greeted by Trump outside.

He quietly exited the White House through the same door without any photo opportunity in front of the press or a joint news conference between Trump and the former al-Qaeda member.

Ahead of the meeting, the United States submitted a resolution to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), calling for the lifting of sanctions on Jolani.

The UNSC approved the resolution, removing Jolani and Syria’s self-proclaimed interior minister, Anas Khattab, from a terrorism-related sanctions list.

Once affiliated with al-Qaeda and Daesh, Jolani seized power in Syria following a rapid onslaught by his militant group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which ousted the government of President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.

HTS had been proscribed as a terrorist outfit by the United Nations since 2014. Jolani was among those sanctioned, subjected to an asset freeze and travel ban.

The US government had previously placed a $10 million bounty on Jolani, but that bounty was officially lifted in December 2024.

In May this year, Trump announced that all US sanctions on Syria would be lifted.

Trump made the announcement in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, during his visit to the kingdom, where he met Jolani, who expressed readiness to normalize ties between Damascus and Tel Aviv.

Press TV