Murtaza Hussain and Ryan Grim report:

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has authorized envoys to make a groundbreaking series of concessions to President Donald Trump in the hopes of normalizing relations with the United States. The offer looks to avert a looming financial catastrophe that could disintegrate the state. In a meeting on April 30 in Damascus, al-Sharaa sat down with a delegation led by American businessman Jonathan Bass and Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force. Bass has said that Saudi officials were working to broker the next meeting with Trump.

Since taking power in December in a surprise military offensive that overthrew the regime of Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa, formerly known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, has been engaged in a public relations campaign aimed at winning over Western capitals skeptical of the new regime, particularly due its former ties to al Qaeda and the Islamic State. Fresh off a visit to Paris, where he was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

So far, Sharaa has not crossed paths with Trump, but that may soon change. Both leaders are expected to be in the Saudi capital of Riyadh next week, where Trump is arriving as part of a U.S. delegation expected to sign major trade, arms, and energy deals with Saudi leaders. According to Bass, who said he has been in touch with Saudi officials, Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman has been working to set up a direct meeting between the Syrian leader and Trump while they are in Riyadh, in what would be a watershed for the new government.

Moustafa, speaking to reporters Friday morning in Washington, said al-Sharaa explicitly authorized the delegation to offer a sweeping deal to Trump, whom he said al-Sharaa believes is a “God-sent man of peace.” Al-Sharaa hopes to meet with Trump in the coming days when both men will be in Riyadh. Moustafa said the generous deal for the United States would require a meeting of no more than five minutes.

The potential deal, Moustafa said, is being made public because some of Trump’s pro-Israel advisers—including ousted National Security Advisor Michael Waltz—had deliberately blocked Trump from learning about the concessions Syria is willing to make. [Continue reading…]