Syrian president expected to meet Trump at the White House, U.S. envoy says

• Barrack said al-Sharaa is expected to sign during his visit an agreement on joining the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS.

Driving the news: The Trump administration said earlier this week that it supports Congress permanently removing the "Caesar sanctions" that are imposed on Syria.

• The Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, named after a Syrian military defector who smuggled out photos of torture victims, is a U.S. law that took effect in June 2020.
• It targeted the Assad regime and anyone doing business with it, especially in sectors like energy, construction, and finance.
• The Trump administration issued temporary waivers for these sanctions but only Congress can vote to cancel them.

Flashback: The last visit to the White House by a senior Syrian official was in December 1999. Then-Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Sharaa visited the White House for peace talks with Israel.

What to watch: Barrack noted that a fifth round of direct negotiations between Israel and Syria, mediated by the United States, is expected to take place after al-Sharaa's visit to Washington.

• He stressed the U.S. goal is reaching a security agreement on the border between the two countries by the end of the year.

Go deeper: Israel presented Syria with proposal for new security agreement