President Donald Trump announced that Washington is considering normalizing relations with Syria after a historic meeting with Syrian interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa – the first such contact between the United States and Syrian leaders in 25 years.
Speaking at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, he said the United States plans to lift all sanctions against Syria.
“With the support of the great leaders in this room, we are currently exploring normalising relations with Syria’s new government,” Trump stated, confirming a brief meeting with al-Sharaa before the summit.
He added, “We will be dropping all sanctions,” saying the move would give Syria “a fresh start.”
Photos shared by Saudi state media showed Trump and al-Sharaa shaking hands alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also participated virtually, according to reports from Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency.
The White House confirmed that Trump urged al-Sharaa to deport individuals designated as “terrorists” to join the Abraham Accords with Israel, and to take responsibility for managing ISIS detention centers in northeastern Syria.
Celebrations reportedly erupted in Syrian cities on Tuesday night following Trump’s earlier announcement lifting sanctions. According to Al jazeera
This development comes after Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December in a swift offensive led by al-Sharaa and opposition forces, ending over five decades of rule by the al-Assad family.