"He's got the potential - he's a real leader," Trump said on Air Force One after meeting Syrian Interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

"I think very good, young, attractive guy, tough guy. You know, strong past, very strong past, a fighter,” Trump said

Sharaa, once an al Qaeda militant, has risen to become Syria's president. His meeting with U.S. President Trump marks a milestone in his political journey. Despite challenges, including fears of authoritarian rule and sectarian violence,

Gulf states are keen to invest in Syria, which has important mineral and oil reserves, but had been prevented from doing so by U.S. sanctions. President Trump has now pledged to lift the restrictions.

HTS was originally established in 2012 as the al-Nusra Front, which soon became the official Syrian affiliate of al Qaeda while fighting Assad. In 2016, the group rebranded as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham and announced it was distancing itself from al Qaeda.

Five months after its liberation from the police state of Bashar al-Assad, Syria sometimes looks like a country in civil war. Sectarian clashes have turned into street battles with rockets and mortars.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will not attend the Arab League Summit in Baghdad this weekend, Syrian state media said on Monday, after Iraq's invitation spurred controversy over the rebel-turned-leader's potential return to a country where he fought and was jailed.