Trump meets Syria’s interim president, plans to lift sanctions, and considers normalising ties in a historic diplomatic shift.

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Washington is considering normalising diplomatic ties with Syria, following a landmark meeting with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa. This meeting marks the first direct engagement between leaders of the two nations in 25 years.

Trump made this significant announcement on Wednesday during a gathering with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Speaking at the summit, he stated that the United States would be lifting "all sanctions" imposed on Syria.

“With the support of the great leaders in this room, we are currently exploring normalising relations with Syria’s new government,” Trump declared, confirming his brief meeting with al-Sharaa. He emphasized that ending the sanctions would offer Syria “a fresh start,” repeating, “We will be dropping all sanctions.”

The US president said he had discussed the decision with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. As part of the next steps, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Turkiye to further advance discussions on the evolving US-Syria relationship.

A statement released by the White House revealed some key demands President Trump made during his meeting with al-Sharaa. These included the deportation of Palestinians labeled as “terrorists,” Syria’s endorsement of the Abraham Accords with Israel, and its assumption of responsibility for ISIS detention centres in northeast Syria.

On Tuesday night, Trump had already announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria—a move that drew applause from Arab leaders and sparked celebrations across Syrian cities.

This development represents a major turning point for Syria, which is still navigating a transition after over 50 years of authoritarian rule under the al-Assad family. Bashar al-Assad was ousted in December following a rapid military campaign led by forces loyal to al-Sharaa.

Reporting from Riyadh, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra described Trump’s announcement and meeting with al-Sharaa as pivotal. “This is a massive breakthrough, giving the new authorities in Syria more legitimacy internationally,” he said. He also noted that the decision could open the door for the GCC to provide financial support to Syria—something that US sanctions had previously prevented.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Damascus, highlighted the diplomatic significance of the 33-minute meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa. “For the first time in 25 years, a Syrian president has met with an American president. That in itself is very historic.”

While relations between the US and Syria appear to be improving rapidly, Khan noted that one of Trump’s conditions—that Syria sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel—may prove to be a major sticking point. “It will be very, very difficult for Damascus to agree to that,” he said.

Following his engagements in Saudi Arabia, Trump arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for a state visit with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and other Qatari officials. Qatar, a key ally of the United States, is expected to announce investment pledges worth hundreds of billions of dollars.

Though the specifics of these investments remain unclear, sources including Reuters report that Qatar Airways is expected to sign a deal to purchase approximately 100 widebody jets from Boeing.

The first two days of Trump’s four-day tour of the Gulf region have featured lavish state ceremonies and a series of high-value business agreements. These include a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia to the US and $142 billion in US arms sales to the kingdom.

After concluding his visit to Qatar, Trump is scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi on Thursday for a meeting with leaders of the United Arab Emirates. He is expected to return to Washington on Friday. However, he has suggested that he may instead travel to Turkiye for a possible summit involving Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, aimed at brokering a ceasefire in the ongoing war in Ukraine.