Trump Announces U.S. Will Normalize Ties with Syria, Lift Sanctions After Historic Meeting with New Syrian Leader

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States is considering normalizing relations with Syria and will lift all existing sanctions against the war-torn country, as per Al Jazeera.

The announcement came after Trump met with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa — the first meeting between leaders of the two nations in 25 years.

Trump made the remarks during a high-profile summit with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh on Wednesday.

“With the support of the great leaders in this room, we are currently exploring normalising relations with Syria’s new government,” Trump said, referring to his brief meeting with al-Sharaa as “a fresh start” for Damascus.

The former president declared that all U.S. sanctions on Syria would be lifted, drawing immediate applause from Arab leaders and reports of celebrations in Syrian cities.

A Major Break in U.S. Policy

The move marks a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy toward Syria. Al-Sharaa came to power in December after leading opposition forces that overthrew long-time President Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of Assad family rule.

“This is a massive breakthrough, giving the new authorities in Syria more legitimacy internationally,” said Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra, reporting from Riyadh. He added that the decision is likely to unlock billions in aid and investment that had been stalled due to U.S. sanctions.

Trump Presses Syria on Regional Issues

During the closed-door meeting with al-Sharaa, Trump reportedly urged Syria to deport individuals identified by Washington as Palestinian militants, sign onto the Abraham Accords to normalize ties with Israel, and take control of Islamic State (ISIS) detention centers in northeast Syria.

A White House statement confirmed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Turkey later this week to further discuss the normalization process.

Trump also consulted with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan before announcing the end of sanctions.

Regional Reaction and Wider Tour

Trump is continuing a high-stakes tour of the Gulf, next traveling to Doha for a state visit with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Qatar is expected to announce significant U.S. investments, including a deal with Qatar Airways to purchase around 100 Boeing widebody jets, according to Reuters.

So far, Trump’s Gulf visit has seen a flurry of deals, including $600 billion in Saudi commitments to U.S. infrastructure and $142 billion in arms sales.

Following his stop in Qatar, Trump is scheduled to visit Abu Dhabi and meet with leaders of the United Arab Emirates. He has also hinted at a possible detour to Turkey for a potential trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss a possible peace initiative.