Donald Trump meets Syrian president after pledge to lift sanctions

Unlock the White Home Watch publication free of charge

Your information to what Trump’s second time period means for Washington, enterprise and the world

Donald Trump has met Syria’s new president Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh at some point after he introduced that the US would carry sanctions on the nation and think about restoring relations.

The transfer marks a dramatic softening of Washington’s stance in direction of Syria after Sharaa’s Islamist motion led a insurgent offensive that toppled dictator Bashar al-Assad and ended his household’s greater than 50-year dynastic rule over the Arab state. 

“We’re presently exploring normalising relations with Syria’s new authorities,” Trump mentioned on Wednesday as he spoke to a gathering of Gulf leaders within the Saudi capital. 

Trump mentioned his determination, first introduced the earlier night time at a Saudi-US funding discussion board, got here after consulting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in an effort to give Syrians a “recent begin”.

Trump added that the way in which ahead for Syria was “not going to be straightforward anyway” however that he felt strongly that eradicating the sanctions would give them a greater likelihood to succeed and “it was my honour to take action”.

The Saudi crown prince mentioned he welcomed Trump’s determination to carry sanctions, including that it “will assist alleviate the struggling of the Syrian individuals and open a brand new web page in direction of progress and prosperity”.

The transfer by Washington will enhance Sharaa as he battles to consolidate his administration’s management over the fragmented nation.

After Trump’s announcement, many Syrians took to the streets of the capital, Damascus, honking their automotive horns in celebration.

Syrians and Arab states have urged western powers to carry all Assad-era sanctions on the nation and have warned that reviving the bankrupt economic system is probably the most difficult job dealing with Sharaa’s transitional authorities. 

The Syrian chief and his Hayat Tahrir al-Sham motion, which dominates the brand new authorities and safety forces, are designated terrorists by the US as a result of previous affiliations with al-Qaeda. 

However Sharaa renounced his ties to al-Qaeda in 2016 and has pledged that his authorities can be an inclusive administration that respects all of Syria’s sects and minorities. 

The UK and the EU have lifted some sanctions, whereas the US has issued waivers to allow commerce in humanitarian items and permit Qatar to pay public sector salaries in Syria. 

If Washington lifts all its sanctions, it will pave the way in which for others to comply with.

The transfer is more likely to anger Israel, which has deployed troops in Syria, seized territory within the nation’s south and repeatedly launched air strikes towards Syrian army amenities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly described Sharaa’s authorities as a “jihadist regime”.

 Nevertheless, Trump mentioned: “There’s a new authorities that can hopefully succeed.”

“I say good luck, Syria. Present us one thing particular,” he added.

Trump’s go to to the Center East comes because the area endures its most sustained and lethal interval of battle in many years within the wake of Hamas’s assault on Israel on October 7 2023 and the Israeli army’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza. 

Arab leaders have been urging Washington to place extra strain on Israel to finish its 19-month warfare in Gaza. 

Further reporting by Raya Jalabi in Beirut and Sarah Dadouch in Damascus