The US President, Donald Trump, has engaged with Syria’s president in Saudi Arabia, urging him to establish relations with longtime adversary Israel, following a surprising announcement from the US regarding the lifting of all sanctions on the Islamist-led government.
Mr. Trump met with Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa, who previously pledged loyalty to al-Qaeda and rose to power at the head of a group labeled a terrorist organization by Washington, prior to a summit involving the United States and Gulf Arab nations.
Images shared by Saudi state television captured their handshake in the presence of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu News Agency, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan participated virtually alongside Mr. Trump and MbS in the meeting.
The United States is also optimistic about Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords; however, discussions stalled following the escalation of the Gaza conflict, with the kingdom asserting that normalization cannot occur without Palestinian statehood.
Recent reports from medical sources in Gaza indicate that Israeli military strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 70 Palestinians across the territory, amid an increase in bombardment coinciding with Mr. Trump’s visit to the Middle East.
Mr. Trump stated yesterday that Saudi Arabia would join the accords at its own pace.
Despite concerns within certain sectors of his administration regarding Syria’s leadership and its historical connections to al-Qaeda, Mr. Trump announced yesterday a significant policy change to lift sanctions on Syria.
He also mentioned that Washington is considering the prospect of normalizing relations with Syria’s government, beginning with his interaction with Sharaa.
The decision to lift sanctions is made even more complex due to Israel’s deep-seated mistrust of Mr. Sharaa’s administration. Israeli officials have consistently labeled him a jihadist, despite the fact that he cut ties with al-Qaeda in 2016. The Israeli prime minister’s office has yet to comment on the matter.
This move is a significant boost for Mr. Sharaa, who has been struggling to reinstate the authority of the Damascus government after the downfall of former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
Removing US sanctions, which have limited Syria’s access to the global financial system, will facilitate increased engagement from humanitarian organizations and promote foreign investment and trade as the nation seeks to recover from civil war.
During a press conference, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud assured that Riyadh will back Syria’s economic revival and emphasized the many investment opportunities that will become available post-sanctions.
Israeli ally, the United States, has opposed any relief of sanctions for Syria, intensifying military operations since Assad’s removal, insisting that it cannot allow an Islamist foothold in southern Syria.
Israel has taken possession of land in the southwest of Syria, raised warnings against the Syrian government’s military presence there, and has destroyed significant amounts of the Syrian military’s heavy weaponry shortly after Assad’s fall.
The challenges confronting Syria’s nascent government were starkly highlighted in March, when loyalists of Assad launched an attack on government forces, leading to retaliatory strikes that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, an act that drew strong condemnation from the US.
In response to a question on Air Force One regarding reports that the Syrian president was interested in a Trump tower in Damascus, Mr. Trump commented, “He’s got the potential – he’s a real leader,” referring to Mr. Sharaa.
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Mr. Sharaa had previously led al-Qaeda’s official branch in the Syrian conflict. He initially joined the group in Iraq, spending five years in a US prison before the US lifted a $10 million bounty on his head in December.
The Syrian foreign minister confirmed that discussions between Mr. Trump and Mr. Sharaa centered on combating terrorism and fostering cooperation to eliminate the threat posed by non-state actors and armed groups undermining Syrian stability, including ISIS.
This meeting is set to be followed by another session between the Syrian foreign minister and his US counterpart, Marco Rubio.
Mr. Trump’s four-day visit to the Gulf region commenced with extravagant ceremonies and business agreements, including Saudi Arabia’s commitment of $600 billion to invest in the US and $142 billion in US arms sales to the kingdom.
Later today, Mr. Trump will travel to Doha, the capital of Qatar. Qatar, a vital US ally, is anticipated to unveil hundreds of billions of dollars in investments in the US.
While the exact details of Qatar’s planned investments remain unclear, it is expected that Qatar Airways will announce a deal for approximately 100 widebody jets from Boeing, as per a source familiar with the negotiation.
After his visit to Qatar, Mr. Trump will proceed to Abu Dhabi to meet with UAE leaders tomorrow. He is expected to return to Washington on Friday, although he has mentioned the possibility of flying to Turkey for a potential meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During his Gulf tour, Mr. Trump expressed concerns regarding the situation in Gaza.
Prince Faisal indicated that the US and Saudi Arabia have concurred on the need to resolve the Gaza conflict and to secure the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
