Trump says US to lift sanctions from Syria

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US will lift long-running sanctions on Syria. 

The surprise announcement came during Trump’s speech at an investment forum in Riyadh at the start of his Gulf tour on Tuesday. 

The cessation comes as welcome news for the Middle Eastern country, which has battled unrest and political upheaval since more than a decade.  

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

“Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” he added, prompting laughter from the audience.   

The sanctions were brutal and crippling, the US President said, adding that they served as an important function at the time. 

"But now it’s their time to shine."

 The civil war in Syria, which has triggered its collapse, has been billed as the world’s deadliest and one of the most protracted conflicts of the past three decades, according to a World Bank report published last May.

Trump might reportedly meet Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of a GCC meeting.

Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia began with a flurry of deals, including a $142 billion defence sales agreement, to strengthen the kingdom’s security and space capabilities, the White House said in a statement issued on X.