In a major turning point Trump Meets Syria’s New Leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, Signals Historic Shift in U.S. Foreign Policy. Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit has sparked international headlines following a surprise meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa, the interim president of Syria. The meeting, brokered in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), marks an unprecedented pivot in U.S.-Syria relations and could signal a broader shift in Middle East geopolitics.