Donald Trump backs Syria’s new leadership, to lift US sanctions

US President Donald Trump, in a dramatic foreign policy turn, announced plans to normalise relations and lift sanctions on Syria’s new government, offering support to the administration led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, the former insurgent who overthrew Bashar al-Assad.

“There is a new government that will hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special.”

"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said to applause in a speech in Riyadh.

"It's their time to shine. We're taking them all off," Trump said, "Good luck Syria, show us something very special."

Trump is scheduled to meet al-Sharaa on Wednesday (May 14) in Saudi Arabia, marking the first direct meeting between a US president and a Syrian leader in over two decades.

Regional push behind Trump’s rapprochement

Trump said the diplomatic outreach came at the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, both of whom have backed Syria’s political transition and view the new government as a buffer against Iranian influence in the region.

“The President agreed to say hello to the Syrian President while in Saudi Arabia tomorrow,” the White House said before Trump’s remarks.

Al-Sharaa’s rise from insurgent to President

Ahmad al-Sharaa, once known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, was a key militant figure during the Iraq insurgency and led al-Qaida’s Syrian affiliate, the Nusra Front, before rebranding it as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and distancing it from al-Qaida.

He led the offensive that toppled the Assad regime in late 2024 and assumed the presidency in January 2025, ending the Assad family’s 54-year rule.

Al-Sharaa had previously been imprisoned in Iraq and was once the target of a $10 million US reward for information on his whereabouts.

US allies divided, Israel cautions

While Gulf nations have rallied behind al-Sharaa, Israel remains skeptical, pointing to his extremist past and lingering arrest warrants in Iraq for terrorism.

Trump’s decision could put the US at odds with longtime allies and raise concerns about legitimising a former militant leader, despite the political shift he now represents.

Sanctions still in place, recognition pending

The US has yet to formally recognise al-Sharaa’s government, and sanctions imposed during Assad’s rule remain in place.

The Trump administration had been weighing its approach since former President Joe Biden left the decision open, amid growing international momentum for re-engagement with Damascus.

Historic meeting on the horizon

If the meeting goes ahead, al-Sharaa will become the first Syrian leader to meet a US president since Hafez al-Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.

The meeting could reshape US-Syria relations and impact regional alignments in a post-Assad era.