A move that has heads shaking in dispair, Trump attempts to rewrite the rules of Middle East geopolitics. Ahmed al-Sharaa was formerly known as the UN-designated terrorist and the architect of Syria’s most brutal jihadist movement Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani. Yet, he stood as the representative of the new interim leader of Syria, who was on Trump’s side in Saudi Arabia.
In return, the Trump regime not only lifted decades-old sanctions but also extended an invitation to Syria to join the Abraham Accords. Backed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and tacitly supported by Turkey’s Erdogan, Sharaa aka Julani is a Jihadi in a suit. The single photo of Trump and Terrorists in the same frame signals the end of the Assad era and the birth of a new, controversial order in West Asia.
It seems under Trump’s watch jihadists can wear suits to claim thrones and terror-laced pasts are rewritten under the banner of peace.
Al-Julani – The Terrorist Who Trump Honored in Saudi Arabia
In a stunning diplomatic pivot, former US President Donald Trump has recognized Ahmed al-Sharaa as the interim President of Syria. He ignored the terror part of the suit sporting an HTS head honcho, despite the fact that he is none other than Abu Mohammad al-Julani. Trump stood smiling beside Julani aka Sharaa who has a $10 million UN bounty on his head! Al-Julani as a UN-designated terrorist also has the infamy to be the former head of the Al-Qaeda offshoot Jabhat al-Nusrah.
According to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, al-Julani was responsible for recruiting for and supplying weapons to both Al-Qaeda and ISIS.
Sharaa a.k.a. Julani was a known confidant of Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Moreover, he was directly instructed by Baghdadi in 2011 to establish a jihadist front in Syria during the uprising against Assad. By 2012, he had formed Jabhat al-Nusrah, later rebranded as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and eventually as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). All of these are terrorist organizations designated by the UN and the US themselves. These groups used the Syrian civil war as a launching pad for establishing an Islamic caliphate by toppling the Russia- and Iran-backed Assad regime.
In November 2024, HTS launched a sweeping offensive, toppling key Assad strongholds.
Assad seemingly fled to Russia by December. Thus, by January the former jihadist warlord had declared himself interim President under the sanitized name Ahmed al-Sharaa. The BBC whitewashed this Al-Qaeda henchman and his crimes in a pathetic sob story. And despite the ongoing massacre of the Druze and Alawite population of Syria, Sharaa aka Julani enjoys being hosted by the US and its friends. Sharaa’s elevation to power represents not just a regime change in Syria but a paradigm shift in international pro-Jihadi diplomacy.
Trump Lifts Syria Sanctions: Legalizing a Fundamentalist Regime
In a move that stunned global observers, Trump announced the complete lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, which had been in place since 1979. The US State Department had originally sanctioned Syria for its support of terror groups like Hezbollah and its partnership with Iran. These sanctions were reaffirmed as recently as 2019 for continued state-sponsored terrorism.
Trump’s justification? “Syria deserves a chance at peace under al-Sharaa.”
This lifting of sanctions means the U.S. has officially legitimized a government founded on jihadist blood. In his attempt to look good as a “Peace Maker” Trump is ready to ignore al-Sharaa aka Julani’s hands soaked in innocent blood. The new name is a way to fool the uninformed about Sharaa aka Julani’s direct role in establishing ISIS and Al-Qaeda affiliates. The Trump administration’s embrace of al-Sharaa has shocked policymakers and unnerved security analysts across the globe – particularly Israel.
The Abraham Accords: Saudi’s Vision, Trump’s Dream
What amplified the geopolitical shockwaves was Trump’s push to bring Syria into the Abraham Accords. These accords are a US-brokered peace initiative that has normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations. At the heart of this new axis stands Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). The Saudis not only brokered the meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa but are reportedly coordinating regional realignments.
Saudi Arabia had previously resisted formally joining the Abraham Accords, but Trump’s comments hint that Riyadh may finally sign on.
MBS brings with him a reconfigured Syria, one aligned not with Iran and Russia, but with U.S.-backed Arab-Israeli cooperation. Turkey’s President Erdogan also joined this historic meeting via phone call. Thus, marking a rare trilateral engagement involving two NATO powers and a regime with a jihadist pedigree.
While Trump dreams of a restructured Middle East with Saudi, Syria, and Turkey aligning under the Abraham umbrella, Israel has issued a stern warning: legitimizing Syria under al-Julani could have grave consequences for regional security.
A $400M Jet, Business in Dubai – Trump Regime under Foreign Influence
The Trump-Sharaa meeting was more than just diplomacy – it was drenched in controversy.
Just days before, Trump accepted a $400 million Boeing 747-8 from Qatar to serve as a temporary Air Force One. Critics have called this a blatant violation of the Emoluments Clause. Many analysts voice that the aircraft could possibly compromising US national security. In parallel, the Trump Organization announced an 80-story luxury tower in Dubai funded by Saudi real estate giant Dar Global. Thereby, further blurring the line between business interests and foreign policy.
Is this a new US foreign policy strategy or is it Trump’s pay-to-play diplomacy with a terror twist?
The answers remain unclear, but the consequences are enormous. Recognizing a terrorist as a legitimate leader, lifting long-standing sanctions, shaking hands with Qatar, and pushing Saudi-Syria to join the Abraham Accords – all amounts to a radical reshaping of alliances. Many wonder about the possibility of the cost of global norms and historical accountability.
Al-Sharaa – A Jihadi in a Suit, and the World Applauds
From commanding suicide bombers in Aleppo to commanding a nation from Damascus, Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rise marks the single most astonishing reversal in modern geopolitics. Trump’s endorsement, MBS’s blessing, and Erdogan’s nod have not only rewritten Syria’s history but may have redrawn the map of the Middle East.
This moment signals not just the fall of Russia-supported Assad but the triumph of selective morality in international diplomacy.
It is a test for world powers: Is geopolitical convenience enough to erase a decade of terrorism? The world now watches as a man once hunted by the FBI is hailed as a “strong, handsome fighter” by Trump.
The Middle East may never be the same again – Israel is panicking and so must the world!