BEIRUT – A Syrian official said Tuesday that his country joined the global coalition against the Islamic State during President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s historic visit to Washington, but that Syria is not part of the U.S.-led military mission fighting the extremist group.

Al-Sharaa met with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday and announced his country’s “desire, intentions and readiness” to join the 89 other countries making up the coalition, which have committed to combat IS, but there is no signed agreement, Syrian Minister of Information Hamza al-Mustafa said in a telephone interview.

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“A political coalition is different from Operation Inherent Resolve, which is a military operations room,” he said, referring to the U.S-led military mission against ISIS in Iraq and Syri

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