President Trump’s Middle East blitz continued Wednesday as he met with Syria’s new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, promising to lift long-standing economic sanctions on the country if it agrees to certain conditions, including confronting terrorism within its borders. The move was met with a mix of both caution and optimism by lawmakers and experts, as al-Sharaa’s pledges of seeking peace contrast sharply with his terrorist background.

Al-Sharaa (formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani) swept into power in Syria as the leader of an Islamist rebel group that toppled the brutal reign of former dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Concerns over al-Sharaa’s terrorist ties have dogged his ascendency as Syria’s leader, as he was formerly on a U.S. terror most-wanted list to the tune $10 million due to his affiliation with al-Qaeda and ISIS and as the leader of a faction of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization.

Al-Sharaa has since shown signs of moderation away from his terrorist past, insisting in December that Syria is “not a threat to any country” and that a new constitution for Syria would be drafted by legal experts, which a future Syrian leader “will have to follow.”

The Trump administration appears to be convinced by al-Sharaa’s promises. During a speech Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, President Trump stated, “There is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace.” The president further emphasized that he wanted to give Syria “a chance at greatness” by lifting the U.S.’s economic sanctions against the country, some of which have been in place since 1979. In return, the White House has stated that Syria must “sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel, tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria, deport Palestinian terrorists, help the United States to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, and assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in Northeast Syria.”

Lawmakers such as Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) say they are guardedly hopeful that al-Sharaa’s leadership could mark the beginning of increased peace and stability for Syria and the Middle East.

“We met with the interim President al-Sharaa to talk about what is his vision,” he told “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” Tuesday, describing his visit with the leader during a trip to Syria over Easter weekend. “And we talked a lot about freedom, human rights, women’s rights, religious rights. Syria is very diverse. There are a lot of Christians in Syria, and we have to keep a close eye on this guy. … Hopefully, we can see Syria move [in] the right direction. He talked about keeping Syria unified and free. … I think letting them start to rebuild the country will be a start.”

As to the approach that al-Sharaa will likely take with Israel, Stutzman again relayed a positive impression.

“I said, ‘Look, the relationship with Israel is critical for the United States, and it’s just not one that’s going to ever change. What do you believe Syria’s relationship looks like with Israel?’ You know, some in the Middle East won’t even recognize Israel by saying the name ‘Israel.’ You know, they’ll say ‘Zionist’ or they’ll find another way to describe Israel. But he said the word ‘Israel’ twice,” Stutzman reported. “He also talked about forgiveness, that things have to be put in the past. … [A]s he talked about trade and commerce with Qatar and the UAE and Saudi Arabia, it seemed like he was very open to normalizing relationships with Israel. And that’s what I hope. … [W]e pray for peace in the Middle East and there may be a chance here. These opportunities don't come often, of course, with the change in dictatorship.”

Stutzman went on to observe that the U.S. should take a “wait and see” approach over the question of whether al-Sharaa is in fact a reformed jihadist.

“[H]e’s saying the right things,” the congressman noted. “He’s doing the right things. … There have been some Syrians [who] have been murdered up and around the coastal region and also in the Druze community. If he’s open to international investigations, I think that says that he would be open to something like that. He’s going to have to really be vulnerable to the West. And he did have an offer from the Russians. He’s not interested in taking it. So I think that’s also another positive sign.”

Meanwhile, experts on the ground in Israel like CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief Chris Mitchell say that al-Sharaa’s deep ties with Turkish President Recep Erdogan, as well as his terrorist background, are troubling.

“Erdogan has a long-standing dream of re-establishing the caliphate that had been destroyed after World War I,” he explained during “Washington Watch” Wednesday. “It had lasted for 400 years, so that has been his dream. … [H]e actually spoke to the Turkish parliament today, thanking President Trump for his agreement to meet with al-Sharaa. And he was part of the conversation yesterday with [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Salman, President Trump, and … al-Sharaa.”

Mitchell continued, “What troubles people here … is his background. He was a member of al-Qaeda, [and] he has been part of HTS … that took over from the Assad regime, and he has since disbanded it. Many people wonder [about] his new makeover. He’s no longer dressed in fatigues, but he’s dressed in a suit, and he’s appealing to Western countries. He visited French President Macron just a few days ago.”

Mitchell further highlighted the serious worries being voiced by the Druz, Kurdish, and Christian religious minorities within Syria over the new government.

“[T]hey’re concerned this might be an Islamic regime,” he remarked. “[There’s] a concern that these minorities, particularly Christians, would be at risk, and that there would be an attempt to either persecute or pressure people to convert to Islam. And so … right now people are wondering, will al-Sharaa become more Western in not only his dress but in his behavior. The other thing is that … Turkey has a great influence there in the government, and many of the members of the government are Turkish. … So it’s troubling and concerning … [T]hat’s [why] as soon as the Assad regime fell and [Israel] saw what was being taken over, they destroyed much of the Assad military, not wanting it to fall into the hands of this new regime.”