Trump lifts Syria sanctions, meets ex‑Al-Qaeda leader

• Lifting of sanctions: President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. will lift sanctions on Syria and take steps to normalise relations with the country's new government.
• Meeting with the Syrian President: On Wednesday, Trump will meet with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, who was previously a commander of Al-Qaeda.
• International reactions: The U.S. decision has met with mixed reactions, including concern from Israel, which views Syria's new authorities as a threat.

- There is a new government that will hopefully succeed. I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special - Trump said during a speech at an investment forum in Riyadh, on the first day of his three-day trip to the Middle East.

He added that the U.S. would take steps to normalise relations with the new government, which they had not officially recognised before. "Let's give a chance at peace," Trump emphasised. He noted that Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged him to lift the sanctions.

Moreover, as a White House official conveyed, Trump intends to meet on Wednesday with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara, who will be in Saudi Arabia that day.

The U.S. imposed successive sanctions on Syria during the authoritarian rule of the Assad clan, which was overthrown in December 2024 by a coalition of Islamist rebels led by Shara. The current leader of Syria was in the past a commander of one of the Al-Qaeda factions.

The new government disavows jihadist ideology, terror, and hostility towards neighbours and ethnic minorities. Shara has sought rapprochement with the West and the lifting of sanctions, emphasising that it is necessary for the unification and reconstruction of the country destroyed after nearly 14 years of civil war.

This is a surprising move by Trump, commented Reuters. The Associated Press added that the apparent shift in U.S. policy towards Syria is inconsistent with Israel's approach, which views Syria's new authorities as a threat, highlights Shara's terrorist past, and warns against normalising relations. The U.S. has long had strained relations with Syria, which was an ally of the USSR during the Cold War and later Iran.

During his speech in Riyadh, Trump also reiterated the main points of his Middle East policy.

- It’s my fervent hope, wish and even my dream that Saudi Arabia… will soon be joining the Abraham Accords - said the American leader, referring to the agreements negotiated during his previous term, in which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco established diplomatic relations with Israel and recognised the state.

Despite advanced talks, the agreement is blocked by the issue of Palestinian statehood. Saudi authorities consistently repeat that the prospect of establishing an independent Palestine must be a condition of the agreement, which the current Israeli government does not agree to.

Earlier in Riyadh, Trump signed an economic strategic partnership agreement with Salman. The American leader noted that Saudi Arabia will invest approximately €556.8 billion in the American economy, with contracts worth about €278.4 billion signed on Tuesday. He added that he hoped Saudi investments would soon increase to nearly €928 billion, which Salman also confirmed.

Trump also said that his administration is working to end the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible and to release all hostages still being held there.

He also declared that he is ready to conclude a nuclear deal with Iran that would limit the country's nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of sanctions. He added that this offer "will not last forever," and if rejected, the U.S. "will exert maximum pressure" and completely halt the export of Iranian oil. He reiterated that Tehran cannot acquire nuclear weapons.