Trump Meets Syria’s President After Sanctions Lift

n a dramatic geopolitical shift, President Donald Trump met with Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, signaling a potential thaw in decades of hostilities. The meeting, held alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, came just a day after Trump announced a full lifting of US sanctions on Syria.

Sharaa, a former jihadist who once had a $10 million US bounty on his head, was praised by Trump as a “young, attractive guy… tough guy… strong past. Fighter.” The encounter marked the first meeting between a US and Syrian president in 25 years and is seen as a major step toward Syria’s reintegration into global diplomacy following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in 2024.

Trump said Washington is exploring normalising diplomatic ties with Damascus and hinted at Syria’s possible inclusion in the Abraham Accords, which would see formal recognition of Israel.

"This gives them a chance for greatness,” Trump declared to the Gulf Cooperation Council. “The sanctions were really crippling, very powerful.”

Syria’s shift from pariah state to partner reflects a dramatic reordering of Middle East alliances and raises questions about the future balance of power in the region.