Donald Trump

Since Trump began lifting sanctions in May, no time has been wasted. US investment delegations have been flocking to Damascus, and security cooperation has already started.

The US president hasn't invested enough political capital in the painstaking details of peacemaking. Instead, he has focused on short-term truces he can boast about in his quest for a Nobel prize.

The US president has been on a mission to secure new supply chains—and counter China's grip

On Monday, the Syrian president shook hands with Trump at the White House. Speaking to Al Majalla, a former State Department official explains why this is a moment she could have never imagined.

In what could be a historic turning point in US-Syria relations, the new government in Damascus will likely join the international coalition against the Islamic State (IS)

Ahmed al-Sharaa will be the first Syrian president to be welcomed at the White House on Monday. From Nixon to Clinton, Al Majalla looks back at official encounters between the two states since 1945.

A US military intervention would be a disaster in an already divided country

He will be expected to play an active role in getting Iraq to disband armed factions, as pressure from Washington is expected to intensify

Al Majalla examines key developments in the US and across the globe less than a year into Trump's second presidential term