Trump Meets Syria’s Interim President al-Sharaa, Indicators Main Coverage Shift
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Could 14, 2025 – U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Wednesday for roughly half-hour on the sidelines of a Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Riyadh, marking the primary U.S.-Syrian presidential assembly in 25 years. The encounter, facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who joined by cellphone, adopted Trump’s announcement to carry U.S. sanctions on Syria, a transfer geared toward aiding the war-torn nation’s reconstruction.
The sanctions, imposed over a long time to counter the Assad regime’s actions, have restricted Gulf investments in Syria’s mineral and oil reserves. Trump’s choice, introduced at a Saudi funding discussion board to extended applause, displays a strategic pivot to help Syria’s new authorities underneath al-Sharaa, who led the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) insurgent group that ousted Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Syria’s international minister hailed the sanctions aid as “pivotal” for rebuilding efforts after over a decade of civil warfare.
Through the assembly, Trump urged al-Sharaa to normalize ties with Israel by the Abraham Accords and to fight terrorism, based on White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Al-Sharaa, as soon as designated a terrorist by the U.S. for his al-Qaeda ties, has sought worldwide legitimacy since assuming energy in January 2025, distancing himself from his previous and pledging an inclusive authorities. His diplomatic efforts embrace conferences with leaders like French President Emmanuel Macron and alerts of potential détente with Israel, regardless of ongoing Israeli airstrikes in Syria.
The assembly has sparked debate, with Gulf states and Turkey supporting engagement to counter Iranian affect, whereas Israel stays cautious of al-Sharaa’s Islamist background. The coverage shift aligns with Trump’s broader Center East tour, specializing in commerce and vitality offers in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, and his objective to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
