Trump says he’s lifting US sanctions on Syria ‘to give them a chance at greatness’

In a major development for the region, US President Donald Trump announces that he will be lifting Washington’s sanctions on Syria.

He says he made the decision after being pressed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling them people whom he has “a lot of respect for.”

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump announces during a speech at a Riyadh investment conference on the first day of his Midddle East trip.

The policy would appear to put him at odds with Israel, which has urged a much more cautious approach to the new Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa.

“The sanctions were brutal and crippling and served a really important function at the time, but now it’s [the new Syrian government’s] time to shine,” Trump continues. “So I say, ‘Good luck Syria.'”