Trump Lifts Syria Sanctions, Meets New Leader

President Donald Trump has announced the lifting of all U.S. sanctions on Syria, a major change in American policy, following pressure from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump is set to meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former insurgent and ex-leader of the Nusra Front who overthrew Bashar al-Assad and now seeks international legitimacy and investment, including a potential Trump Tower in Damascus. Al-Sharaa, who severed ties with al-Qaida but remains wanted in Iraq on terrorism charges, has gained support from Gulf nations as a counterweight to Iranian influence. The planned meeting marks the first between a Syrian leader and a sitting U.S. president since 2000. Western governments remain cautious and are conditioning normalization on humanitarian and political reforms. Saudi Arabia has played a key mediating role in these developments.