The meeting came after Trump—who is in the middle of a three-country tour of the Middle East—delivered a speech on Tuesday in which he announced his plan to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria in support of "a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace.”

Trump urged Sharaa to normalize relations with Israel and help defeat Islamic State, the White House said.

The sanctions were really crippling,” President Trump said, before he traveled to Qatar, where he was given a lavish welcome.