Trump Meets New Syrian Leader in Historic Break from Sanctions

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: For the first time since 2000, a sitting US president has met face-to-face with a Syrian leader. President Donald Trump held talks with interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, whose rebel forces toppled the Assad regime. This meeting follows Trump’s recent announcement lifting all US sanctions on Syria—a policy shift that could spur significant changes in Middle East diplomacy. During their conversation, Trump and al-Sharaa discussed the possibility of Syria joining other Arab nations in normalizing relations with Israel. However, no official agreement emerged. The conversation also touched on Syria’s staggering economic challenges, which worsened under sanctions enacted after the civil war began in 2011.