ALBAWABA - Just before to his meeting with President Donald Trump in Riyadh, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen revealed on Thursday that King Abdullah II of Jordan cautioned the United States against contemplating an assassination attempt on Ahmad Al-Sharaa, the next leader of Syria.
The Jordanian king had expressed alarm about allegations circulating in diplomatic circles regarding a possible plot to eradicate Al-Sharaa, Shaheen said during a Senate hearing. She brought up her previous May secret meeting with King Abdullah in Washington, when he warned that such a move may lead to a new civil war in Syria.
Shaheen emphasized the seriousness of the threat, saying, "King Abdullah made it clear that removing Al-Sharaa by force could plunge Syria into chaos and derail any chance for progress."
Trump's Syria Change Draws Attention
Joel Rayburn was nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and Shaheen made these comments at his confirmation hearing. Rayburn, who was Trump's special envoy for Syria in his first term, said he was unaware of any plots for assassination and that it would be inconsistent with Trump's current stance on Al-Sharaa.
The session comes after Trump abruptly said earlier this week that all U.S. sanctions against Syria, which had been in effect since 1979, would be lifted. Trump's encounter with Al-Sharaa in Riyadh, which surprised both Israeli officials and members of his own team, was the direct cause of the decision.
Accolades for a "Hard" New Leader
After the meeting in Riyadh, Trump spoke on Air Force One, calling Al-Sharaa “young, charismatic, and tough.” He also said, “He has a very strong past. He is a combative individual. According to the White House, Trump encouraged Al-Sharaa to help fight ISIS and drive out foreign militias and Palestinian terrorist organizations from Syria.
While acknowledging that Syria still had "a lot of work to do," Trump also said that he brought up the subject of normalization with Israel during the discussion and that Al-Sharaa had shown a readiness to someday join the Abraham Accords.
Diplomatic ripples and regional alignment
Although Turkey is al-Sharaa's biggest friend, his administration is quickly forging closer connections with Gulf nations. Trump said that he decided to remove the sanctions in response to requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Israel continues to conduct military operations in Syria, retaining control over portions of the southeast, while Syria and Israel have allegedly had indirect talks to reduce tensions in the United Arab Emirates.
The disclosures surrounding King Abdullah's warning and Trump's swift turn toward Syria underscore a new era in Middle Eastern diplomacy, one that is characterized by brittle opportunity, regional realignment, and persistent ambiguity over Al-Sharaa's future function.
