Trump Meets Syrian President in Riyadh Following Sanctions Lift Pledge

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, one day after announcing the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Syria, Orda.kz reports, citing Middle East Eye.

The United States imposed sweeping restrictions on financial transactions with Syria amid its civil war.

It asserted that it would utilize sanctions to punish anyone involved in reconstruction so long as Assad remained in power without accountability.

The meeting took place ahead of a broader summit of Gulf Arab leaders during Trump’s regional visit and was hosted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. It marked the most significant diplomatic contact between Syria and the West since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government in late 2024.

It was also the first time in over 20 years that a sitting U.S. President met with a Syrian head of state. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan participated in the meeting virtually.

During the talks, Trump encouraged Syria to join the Abraham Accords and normalize relations with Israel as part of a wider U.S.-led effort to reshape diplomatic ties in the region.

The Abraham Accords, brokered by the U.S. under Trump in 2020, established normalization between Israel and several Arab countries, including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. While the agreements marked a shift in regional diplomacy, they were met with strong criticism across much of the Arab world.

Syria has consistently opposed normalization with Israel, citing the occupation of the Golan Heights — territory annexed by Israel in 1967 — and ongoing military strikes within Syria. Israel claims to be defending the Druze minority in the country.

More recently, violence erupted against the community following what was later found to be a fabricated audio recording reportedly criticizing the Prophet Muhammad.

Syria’s Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shibani, welcomed the lifting of U.S. sanctions and said,

It remains unclear what specific agreement he was referencing.

President Sharaa recently confirmed indirect talks with Israel, mentioning the discussions during a press conference with his French counterpart in Paris last week.

Sharaa stated that any future peace agreement would depend on Israel’s withdrawal from the Golan Heights.

Trump also raised the issue of detention facilities holding radicalized fighters in northeastern Syria and called on Syria to take responsibility for them, in addition to requesting the deportation of Palestinian militants.