U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday, marking the first high-level engagement between U.S. and Syrian leaders in decades. The meeting, attended virtually by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, focused on normalizing bilateral ties and regional stabilization efforts.
Trump announced a landmark policy shift, pledging to lift sanctions on Syria to 'give them a chance at greatness.' The move comes alongside U.S. efforts to advance the Abraham Accords, with Trump urging Damascus to normalize relations with Israel despite ongoing tensions over Israeli military operations in Syria.
The summit also addressed Iran's nuclear program through indirect talks. Trump emphasized that any deal with Tehran would require it to 'permanently cease its pursuit of nuclear weapons' and stop 'sponsoring terror.' Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi dismissed the remarks as deceptive, accusing the U.S. of misidentifying regional threats.
During his Saudi visit, Trump secured $600 billion in Gulf investment commitments, underscoring deepening economic partnerships. The tour, his first major foreign trip since taking office, continues to Qatar and the UAE.
