RIYADH — President Donald J. Trump met with Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Shara, on Wednesday, shortly after announcing the end of longstanding U.S. sanctions on the war-ravaged country — a move that signals a dramatic shift in Washington’s Middle East policy.
The 33-minute meeting took place on the sidelines of a regional summit attended by leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. A White House official said the two leaders spoke ahead of the summit’s opening session, but declined to provide specifics on the discussion.
The encounter marks a stunning turnaround for al-Shara, who once led a faction affiliated with Al Qaeda before severing ties with the jihadist network and assuming a more moderate political posture. Since the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in December by rebel forces, al-Shara has sought to restore Syria’s international standing and push for the removal of sweeping sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
Many of the U.S. sanctions, imposed in response to Assad’s violent crackdown on protesters in 2011, remained in place even as European nations began to ease restrictions. Trump said his decision to lift sanctions followed consultations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“I believe it’s time for Syria to rejoin the global economy,” Trump said in a brief statement. “We’ve had constructive conversations with our regional partners, and we’re optimistic about the path ahead.”
The sanctions relief announcement coincided with the launch of Trump’s four-day Middle East tour — the first major overseas trip of his second term. His visit to Saudi Arabia focused heavily on economic partnerships, with several new agreements signed, including contracts related to defense technology and artificial intelligence infrastructure.
The meeting between Trump and al-Shara is expected to draw scrutiny from lawmakers and human rights groups in Washington, many of whom remain wary of Syria’s new leadership and the country’s uncertain political trajectory.
