Trump Lifts Syria Sanctions, Meets President al-Sharaa in Historic Middle East Overture
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump’s decision to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria has triggered nationwide celebrations in the war-torn country and reverberated through diplomatic circles across the Middle East.
The announcement came Tuesday evening during Trump’s high-profile visit to Riyadh and was followed the next day by a landmark meeting between President Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa — marking the first direct talks between U.S. and Syrian heads of state in more than two decades.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump declared during an investment forum in the Saudi capital. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off,” he added. “Good luck Syria, show us something very special.”
According to Reuters, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa came to the negotiating table prepared with multiple offers to court the White House, including a bold proposal to build a Trump Tower in Damascus. The offer was part of a strategic move to defuse long-standing tensions between Washington and Damascus ahead of the surprise Wednesday meeting.
During the meeting, President Trump pushed for Syria’s inclusion in the Abraham Accords, urging Damascus to normalize ties with Israel. He also called on President al-Sharaa to expel Palestinian terrorist factions, assist in the management of Islamic State detention centers, and cooperate with the United States on broader counterterrorism efforts.
Al-Sharaa reportedly expressed a willingness to engage. He reaffirmed Syria’s 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel and voiced support for joint efforts to dismantle chemical weapons stockpiles and reduce Iranian influence in the region.
In a related development, Syrian officials have begun signaling a dramatic shift in tone regarding Israel. In an interview with Kan News, Ali al-Rifa’ai, head of the spokesperson department in the Syrian Ministry of Information, said, “Syria does not want war. We want peace with everyone, we want the region to be stable, and we do not want war with anyone.”
Al-Rifa’ai emphasized that the new Syrian government is genuinely interested in regional peace, including with Israel. His comments follow remarks made last week by President al-Sharaa during a press conference in France, where the Syrian leader revealed that his country is engaged in indirect talks with Israel aimed at calming tensions and preventing further escalation along the border.
The surprise diplomatic breakthrough — spurred in part by appeals from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — represents a major shift in U.S. policy and opens a potential new chapter in Middle East realignment.
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