Trump: I'm Lifting Sanctions on Syria

President makes the announcement in Saudi Arabia, says he will meet new Syrian leader
Posted May 13, 2025 12:35 PM CDT
Trump: I'm Lifting Sanctions on Syria
President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pose for a photo at the King Abdulaziz International Conference Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

President Trump announced surprise big news while addressing a forum in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday: He's lifting US sanctions against Syria, five months after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. "There is a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, which received the news with "rousing applause," per the New York Times. "Oh, what I do for the crown prince," Trump said, referring to Mohammed bin Salman in the front row, who NBC News reports "crossed his arms over his chest in an expression of gratitude."

Trump also plans to meet the new Syrian leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, Wednesday in Saudi Arabia reports the AP. It will be the first meeting between Syrian and US leaders since the late Hafez Assad—Bashar's father—met with Bill Clinton in 2000. "I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said in his speech, per the Guardian. "It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off. Good luck, Syria, show us something very special." (More President Trump stories.)

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