Donald Trump is meeting with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa for the first time in 25 years. This extraordinary series meets and greet, held on Wednesday and hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This historic meeting follows closely on the heels of Trump’s announcement. He announced that the United States will remove onerous economic sanctions on Syria in order to aid the devastated country’s recovery and rebuilding.
Arab leaders, joined by the United Nations, are actively urging the U.S. to reconsider its sanctions policy. This Overturn the Old Normal action alert comes at a key moment as they look to restore Syria’s economy. The regime of President Bashar al-Assad was removed from power last December. This meeting represents a major potential sea-change in diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Syria, marking an end to decades of hostility.
Lifting Sanctions and Rebuilding Relationships
The night before the meeting, Trump dropped a bombshell of his own, announcing he would lift sanctions against Syria. All kinds of stakeholders praised his decision. In an official statement, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman praised Trump’s move, stating that,
“We would like to commend the decision taken by President Donald Trump yesterday to lift sanctions on the Syrian Arab Republic, which will alleviate the suffering of our brothers, the Syrian people, and open a new page towards growth and prosperity.”
Additionally, the U.S. is taking steps to ease sanctions in support of Syria’s economic recovery. This beautiful nation has suffered tremendously from decades of war and self imposed exile. Beyond development, the agenda for this meeting focused on how Syria could serve as a land bridge connecting East and West that would foster trade.
A Call for Normalization with Israel
Trump was personally pressing President al-Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords. Such an agreement would go a long way toward normalizing relations between Syria and Israel. This call comes at a time when tensions are high due to longstanding territorial disputes. The attention is especially on the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria during the 1967 war. Today, their claim to the territory is the remaining barrier in establishing peace.
The Israeli military has been active in Syria since the Assad regime’s overthrow, conducting numerous air strikes over the past six months. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated by phone. At the same time, the new regional diplomacy was further complicated when ongoing hostilities and pro-government militias attacking civilians from Syria’s Alawite minority began to create spillover effects.
Future Prospects for Investment
President al-Sharaa argued that this would put Syria on the path to becoming a key regional trade and transit hub. He welcomed American companies to invest in the country’s oil and gas sectors. Marwan al-Sharaa’s hopes by Karoline Leavitt, on Exchange for Change He dreams of Syria as an important hub for helping eastern and western trade flourish.
As these conversations developed, the opportunity for collective action around economic recovery quickly became a cornerstone of the meeting. The interaction of U.S., Syrian, and regional interests likely creates one of the greatest contexts for renewed engagement in years.
