Last December, we covered the tangled Syrian landscape through two lenses–first, a look at how three prominent Republicans differed in their Syria positions, and second, an interview featuring Judge Andrew Napolitano and a Syrian analyst who helped unpack the quiet realignments at play, at least from that vantage point.

A Snapshot of Three Republicans on Syria

Judge Napolitano, Syrian Analyst Speak to Tangled Scene in Syria

U.S.S. STOCKHOLM: Syria, the Forever War Trap, & A Not-So-Hidden Enemy | E20

Fast-forward to November 2025, and the improbable has happened. Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa–once a jihadist leader with a $10 million bounty on his head by the State Department–was received at the White House by President Trump yesterday. The meeting, held in such close proximity to Veterans Day and coinciding with the 250th birthday of the US Marine Corps, was–perhaps–rich in symbolism and timing. Whether designed to provoke or to reset, or something else entirely, the event marked the first official White House visit by a Syrian head of state in history. And we believe it is worth keeping an eye on.

Also worth noting–and adding another layer–Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan joined the meeting amidst a surprise visit to Washington, DC. This continues Turkey’s growing role as a regional “steward” of sorts–a NATO nation balancing its military commitments with new diplomatic leverage between the United States, Syria, and the broader Middle East:

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan met with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, at the White House on Monday and joined part of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s landmark meeting with President Donald Trump.

“At a certain point in the meeting we were invited to join,” Fidan told reporters after his White House talks, which covered Turkey’s stance on Syria, potential areas of cooperation with the United States, Syria’s reconstruction and unity, and regional security.

The optics are as complex as the alliances behind them. According to reports including the Al-Monitor cited above, discussions included extending the current pause on US sanctions against Syria–a pause originally granted in May at the request of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. More strikingly, Fidan signaled that Syria could soon join the Abraham Accords, a move that would have been unthinkable not that long ago.

The Abraham Accords–something else to keep an eye on if you are Christian.

If realized, such a step would fundamentally redraw the diplomatic map of the region. It would also place increased pressure on Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government faces growing isolation and domestic unrest.

For now, the images of an American president, a former insurgent-turned-statesman, and a Turkish power broker standing together at the White House signal what might be the next major pivot in the Middle East–and another reminder that in geopolitics, rarely is anything certain.