Trump Announces End to Sanctions on Syria in Order To Give New Regime ‘a Chance at Greatness’

 The president receives a lengthy round of applause after making the announcement during a speech in Saudi Arabia.

President Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the Royal Terminal of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13, 2025.( AP/Alex Brandon

President Trump says he will end all sanctions on the new Syrian government in order to allow it to pursue “greatness” after the fall of the Assad regime. Mr. Trump made the announcement during a speech in Saudi Arabia, which has been seeking closer ties with President al-Sharaa’s new transitional government. 

Mr. Trump is currently on the first foreign trip of his second term, taking him to several Gulf states, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Speaking to a crowd of Saudi officials on Tuesday — including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — Mr. Trump said he was looking to change the political dynamics in the region. 

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” the president said before the crowd of hundreds on Tuesday. The group applauded for more than 30 seconds, and gave the president a standing ovation. 

The crown prince seemed especially pleased, standing to applaud the president as he was seated near Secretary Rubio, Elon Musk, and the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. 

The crown prince was one of the first foreign leaders to embrace Mr. al-Sharaa after he took power as the new Syrian president late last year. Mr. al-Sharaa’s first trip as head of state after assuming the role was to Saudi Arabia, where he met with the crown prince personally. Relations between Saudi Arabia and Syria deteriorated significantly during the course of the latter’s civil war, which resulted in Mr. Assad being overthrown and forced into exile in Russia. 

The president announced Tuesday that he plans to meet with the new Syrian president on Wednesday. Mr. al-Sharaa is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia to meet Mr. Trump for the first time. 

Mr. Trump’s remarks at Riyadh on Tuesday were largely focused on the issue of Iran. He demanded that the Islamic Republic engage in meaningful talks to wind down its nuclear program and praised the Saudis for their friendship with the United States. 

“I want to make a deal with Iran. I can make a deal with Iran. I’ll be very happy if we’re going to make your region and the world a safer place,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday. “If Iran’s leadership rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors, then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure … and take all action required to stop the regime from ever having a nuclear weapon.”

Beyond Iran, the goal of Mr. Trump’s visit, the administration says, is to deepen ties with the Saudis, largely through investment. The two countries already have a multibillion-dollar annual defense agreement, though Mr. Trump announced Tuesday that he had secured guarantees from the Saudis that they would invest hundreds of billions of additional dollars in the American economy over the course of several years.

In a fact sheet provided by the White House, the administration says the Saudis will invest the money in artificial intelligence data centers, healthcare technology manufacturing plants, and the purchase of American automobiles and planes.

https://www.nysun.com/article/trump-announces-end-to-sanctions-on-syria-in-order-to-give-new-regime-a-chance-at-greatness