Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa has arrived in Washington for an official visit, just two days after the US formally revoked his status as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
The former Islamist militant will meet US President Donald Trump at the White House on Monday, 11 months after his rebel alliance ousted Bashar al-Assad.
Hours before his arrival in the US capital, it was announced that Syrian security services had detained dozens of suspected members of the so-called Islamic State group.
Joint efforts to tackle what remains of the group in Syria are expected to be high on the agenda during Sharaa's talks with Trump.
Syrian authorities reported 71 suspected members of the group were arrested, with weapons and explosives also seized.
Since taking power, Sharaa has looked to reestablish Syria's presence on the world stage after decades of isolation under the Assad regime and 13 years of civil war.
Sharaa previously traveled to the US in September to address the UN General Assembly, where he expressed Syria's ambition to reclaim its rightful place among nations and called for the international community to remove sanctions.
Recently, the UN Security Council backed a US resolution to lift measures against Syria, coinciding with Washington's ongoing process of easing sanctions.
Sharaa and his interior minister were removed from a US register of individuals suspected of supporting or funding extremist groups, a decision acknowledging progress from the Syrian leadership.
Sharaa had been previously known under the name Muhammad al-Jawlani, the alias he used as leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which severed ties with al-Qaeda in 2016.
Despite his controversial past, Sharaa has garnered support from international governments through his promise to lead a moderate government representative of all Syrian factions.
However, significant challenges remain, including recent violence between tribal fighters and militias, raising doubts about HTS's ability to restore stability to Syria.
