(MENAFN) President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States will take all necessary measures to assist Syria as it transitions from decades of Assad family rule, following a private meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Speaking to reporters after their nearly two-hour discussion, Trump emphasized that his administration will "do everything we can to make Syria successful," describing Sharaa as "a very strong leader."

"He comes from a very tough place, and he's a tough guy. I liked him. I get along with him, the president, the new president in Syria," Trump said while speaking from the Oval Office.

Although he hinted at upcoming developments regarding Syria, Trump offered no specifics, noting only that "we want to see Syria become a country that's very successful, and I think this leader can do it."

"He has had a rough past. And I think, frankly, if you didn't have a rough past, you wouldn't have a chance. He gets along very well with Turkey, with President (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan, who's a great leader. Erdogan is a great leader. And very much in favor of what's happening in Syria. We have to make Syria work," the president added.

Trump also highlighted Syria’s importance in the region, stating, "Syria is a big part of the Middle East, and I will tell you, I think it is working. And really well. We're working also with Israel, on, you know, getting along with Syria, getting along with everybody. And that's working amazingly."

Sharaa’s visit marked a historic occasion, being the first by a Syrian head of state to the White House since the country gained independence nearly eight decades ago.

Reports indicate that the discussions likely focused on lifting US sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule, formally incorporating Damascus into the anti-ISIS (Daesh) coalition, and potential talks about normalization with Israel—one of Trump’s stated objectives.

No official summary of the meeting was immediately released.

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