Cliff Notes
- Donald Trump has met with Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa, a former al Qaeda member, during a Middle East tour.
- The US president is considering “normalising” relations with Syria by lifting longstanding sanctions that have impacted the country for 25 years.
Trump’s deal with Syria – what does it mean?
Donald Trump has met Syrian President Ahmed al Sharaa – a former al Qaeda member – during a tour of the Middle East.
The US president said he is looking at “normalising” relations with Syria after lifting sanctions that have crippled the country for 25 years.
International affairs editor Yvonne Ridley discusses how Trump’s meeting came about, its significance for Syria and what it means for the wider region.
Trump said after the meeting that it had gone “great”, adding that Sharaa was a “young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter”.
Images in Saudi state media showed the pair warmly shaking hands — with Sharaa even cracking a rare smile — next to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The three leaders were later shown seated around a speaker as Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined the meeting by phone. Senior officials from the three countries, including foreign ministers, also attended.
Trillions in tech and military investments
The UK and the EU have lifted some sanctions, while the US has issued waivers to permit trade in humanitarian goods and allow Qatar to pay public sector salaries in Syria. If Washington lifts all its sanctions, it would pave the way for others to follow.
The US has been weighing how to handle al-Sharaa since he took power in December. Gulf leaders, have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow, believing it is a bulwark against Iran’s return to influence in Syria, where it had helped prop up Assad’s government during a decade-long civil war.
About Al Sharaa
Al-Sharaa, whom the US once offered $10 million for information about his whereabouts because of his links to al Qaeda, came back to his home country after the conflict began in 2011 where he led al Qaeda’s branch that used to be known as the Nusra Front. He later changed the name of his group to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and cut links with al Qaeda.
Al-Sharaa became the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since the late Hafez Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000.
