Syria offered to build Trump Tower in Damascus before presidents’ meeting

Damascus courted Donald Trump with a range of incentives, including the potential for a Trump Tower in the Syrian capital, before a meeting between the United States president and his Syrian counterpart.

The strategic pitch also included the possibility of a detente with Israel and US access to Syrian oil and gas reserves, according to sources familiar with the effort.

Jonathan Bass, a pro-Trump activist, met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa for four hours in Damascus on April 30, alongside Syrian activists and representatives from Gulf Arab states.

That formed part of a broader push to broker a meeting between the two leaders, which occurred on Wednesday.

It was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the US and Syria had met, and came after a surprise announcement from Trump that the US would lift all sanctions on Syria.

Syria has faced significant challenges in meeting the conditions set by Washington for sanctions relief. These sanctions have isolated Syria from the global financial system, severely hindering economic recovery after 14 years of war.

Earlier, Trump told reporters that he wanted to give Syria a “fresh start” by lifting sanctions.

Proponents of more US engagement with Syria hoped that getting Trump into a room with Sharaa, who remains a US-designated terrorist over his al-Qaeda past, could help soften the Republican administration's thinking on Damascus and cool an increasingly tense relationship between Syria and Israel.

"Sharaa wants a business deal for the future of his country," Bass said earlier, noting it could cover energy exploitation, cooperation against Iran and engagement with Israel.

“He told me he wants a Trump Tower in Damascus. He wants peace with his neighbours. What he told me is good for the region, good for Israel.”

Sharaa also shared what he saw as a personal connection with Trump: both have been shot at, narrowly surviving attempts on their lives, Bass said.

‘A push underway’

The Trump-Sharaa meeting came as a surprise to some. It was earlier widely seen as unlikely, given Trump's packed schedule, his priorities and lack of consensus within his team on how to tackle Syria.

"There is definitely a push underway," said Charles Lister, head of the Syria Initiative at the Middle East Institute, earlier this week.

"The idea is that getting to Trump directly is the best avenue because there are just too many ideologues within the administration to get past."

‘Olive branch’

A key aim of Syria's overtures to Washington was communicating that it poses no threat to Israel, which has escalated airstrikes in Syria since the country's rebels-turned rulers ousted former strongman Bashar al-Assad last year.

Israel's ground forces have occupied territory in southwestern Syria while the government has lobbied the US to keep Syria decentralized and isolated.

Israel has said it aims to protect Syrian minority groups. Syria has rejected the strikes as escalatory.

Sharaa last week confirmed indirect negotiations with Israel aimed at calming tensions, after Reuters reported that such talks had occurred via the UAE.

In a separate effort, Bass said Sharaa told him to pass messages between Syria and Israel that may have led to a direct meeting between Israeli and Syrian officials.

But Israel soon resumed strikes, including one near the presidential palace, which it framed as a message to Syria's rulers to protect the country's Druze minority amid clashes with Sunni militants.

"Sharaa sent the Israelis an olive branch. Israel sent missiles," Bass said.

"We need Trump to help sort this relationship out."