By Hannah Parry is a Newsweek Live Blog Editor based in New York. Her focus is reporting on U.S. politics and society.
Speaking at a Saudi Arabian investment forum, on the first day of his Arabia trip, Trump said that he wanted to give Syrians a "chance at greatness."
Why It Matters
The United States has imposed sanctions on Syria for decades as part of a policy aimed at isolating the country economically and diplomatically over its human rights abuses and support for terrorism.
The sanctions were escalated to punish the regime of Bashar al-Assad for its violent repression of people during the Syrian civil war. The sanctions not only froze assets and restricted transactions with Syrian officials, but after the 2019 Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, foreign individuals and companies that supported the regime's reconstruction efforts could also be targeted.
While the sanctions excluded humanitarian aid, critics have argued they hurt Syrian civilians and destabilized the country's economy.
What To Know
Trump said that he made the decision to lift sanctions on Syria after speaking with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"There is a new government that will hopefully succeed," Trump said of Syria. "I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special."
The decision comes after al-Assad was ousted in an 11-day rebellion last December. Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former top lieutenant of Islamic State militant group (ISIS) founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, has since taken his place.
The lifting of sanctions appears to be part of a broader U.S. strategy to engage with Syria's new leadership in a bid to shift the country away from Iranian and Russian influence.
The U.S. also recently lifted a $10 million bounty on Ahmad al-Sharaa, signaling a potential shift in international policy, and has been pulling American troops out of the country.
Trump previously indicated that he does not want the U.S. to get further entangled with Syrian conflicts. "We're not involved in Syria. Syria is its own mess. They've got enough messes over there. They don't need us involved in every one," Trump said in January.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, at a Saudi Arabian investment forum on Tuesday: "I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness."
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Tuesday that easing sanctions "is a positive development, inviting a broader investment" in the country and will "help the Syrian people recover from more than a decade of conflict, a decade of underinvestment."
What Happens Next
Trump's Middle East visit, his first overseas trip since his reelection, continues through Thursday.
This is a breaking news story, more updates to follow.
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