Donald Trump says he will lift sanctions in Syria

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Donald Trump announced that he would lift sanctions in the United States in Syria during his visit to Saudi Arabia, as Arab states promote Washington to support government government efforts to stabilize the nation devastated by war.

A White House official said that the President of the United States would also meet with the new President of Syria, Ahmed al-SharaaIn Riyadh on Wednesday, saying he “agreed to greet” the Syrian leader.

Trump said after talking to Prince Saudi colonel Mohammed Bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, “He would order the cessation of sanctions against Syria In order to give them an opportunity of greatness. “

He also said that he would begin to normalize relationships with Damascus. “They have had their part of war, killing many years,” he said.

“That is why my administration has already taken the first steps to restore normal relationships between the United States and Syria for the first time.”

The movement marks a softening of Washington Posture Towards Syria after the Islamist movement of Sharaa directed a rebellious offensive that the dictator Bashar al-Assad turned and ended with the dynastic rule of more than 50 years of his family over the Arab state.

Sharaa will present as you fight to consolidate your administration control over the fragmented nation.

After Trump’s announcement, many went out on the street, Damascus, kicking off the celebration.

The Syrians and the Arab states have urged the western powers to raise all the sanctions of the Assad era in the country, and have warned that reliving the failed economy is the most difficult task that is in front of the Sharaa Transition Government.

The Syrian leader and his movement Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, who dominates the new government and security forces, are terrorists designated by the United States due to affiliations past with Al-Qaeda.

But Sharaa resigned with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and has committed its Government will be an inclusive administration that respects all the sects and minorities of Syria.

The United Kingdom and the EU have raised some sanctions, while the United States has issued resignations to allow humanitarian goods trade and allow Qatar to pay public sector salaries in Syria.

If Washington lifts all its sanctions, it would open the way for others to follow.

But the movement is angry Israel, which has deployed troops in Syria, took a territory in the south of the country, and repeatedly launched air attacks against Syrian military facilities. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly described the Sharaa government as a “jihadist regime”.

But Trump said, “There is a new government that is successful.”

“I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special,” he added.

Trump’s visit to the Middle East comes when the region has supported its most sustained and mortal periods of conflict in decades following the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023 in Israel and the offensive of retaliation of the Israeli military in Gaza.

Arab leaders have urged Washington to press more on Israel to end their 19 -month war in Gaza.

Trump made few comments on the conflict as the humanitarian catastrophe of the besieged strip is deepened and Israel prepares to expand his offensive against Hamas. But he blamed the militant group of the butcher’s shop.

“The people of Gaza deserve a much better future, but this cannot occur and their leaders choose to abduct, guide and torture men, women and children innocent for political purposes.”

Arab leaders, however, are waiting for Trump to reach an agreement with Iran to resolve their years over the years with the expansive Tehran nuclear programs to reduce the risk of American and Israeli strikes in the Islamic Republic, triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.

Trump condemned Iran in his speech, saying that its leaders were “focused on stealing the wealth of its people to fund terror and blood spill abroad.”

But he reiterated that he wanted an agreement with Tehran after starting talks on the nuclear crisis. “Today I am here not only to condemn the past choices of Iran’s leaders, but also to offer them a new and better way to a much more hopeful future.”

He added: “If Iran’s leadership rejects this branch of olive trees and continues to attack its neighbors, we will have no choice but to cause a massive mass pressure and to promote Iranian oil exports to zero as I did before.”

The nuclear crisis with Iran broke out after Trump in 2018 withdrew from the Tehran agreement signed with the Obama administration and other world powers.

At that time, Saudi Arabia supported Trump’s decision, but since then he has pursued a period of Détente with Iran and wants to avoid a conflict that could spill on his border.

Additional Raya Jalabi reports to Beirut and Sarah Dadoch in Damascus