U.S. to lift sanctions against Syria, Trump says

Thomson Reuters

· Posted: May 13, 2025 5:43 PM EDT | Last Updated: 27 minutes ago

President Donald Trump announced connected Tuesday that the U.S. volition assistance long-standing sanctions connected Syria, and secured a $600 cardinal US committedness from Saudi Arabia to put successful the United States connected a travel to the Gulf.

The U.S. agreed to merchantability Saudi Arabia an arms bundle worthy astir $142 billion, according to the White House which called it "the largest defence co-operation agreement" Washington has ever done.

The astonishment announcement astir the sanctions would beryllium a immense boost for Syria, which has been shattered by much than a decennary of civilian war. Rebels led by existent President Ahmed al-Sharaa toppled President Bashar al-Assad past December.

Speaking successful Riyadh, Trump said helium was acting connected a petition to scrap the sanctions by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

"Oh, what I bash for the crown prince," Trump said, drafting laughs from the audience. He said the sanctions had served an important relation but that it was present clip for the state to determination forward.

The United States declared Syria a authorities sponsor of coercion successful 1979, added sanctions successful 2004 and imposed further sanctions aft the civilian warfare broke retired successful 2011.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said connected X that the planned determination marked a "new start" successful Syria's way to reconstruction. Trump has agreed to concisely greet Sharaa successful Saudi Arabia connected Wednesday, a White House authoritative said.

Trump and the Saudi crown prince signed an statement covering energy, defence, mining and different areas. Trump has sought to fortify relations with the Saudis to amended determination ties with Israel and enactment arsenic a bulwark against Iran.

The statement covers deals with much than a twelve U.S. defence companies successful areas including aerial and rocket defence, aerial unit and abstraction advancement, maritime information and communications, the information expanse said. The Saudi prince said the woody included concern opportunities worthy $600 billion, including deals worthy $300 cardinal that were signed during Trump's visit.

"We volition enactment successful the coming months connected the 2nd signifier to implicit deals and rise it to $1 trillion," helium said.

Saudi Arabia is 1 of the largest customers for U.S. arms.

Reuters reported successful April the U.S. was poised to connection the kingdom an arms bundle worthy good implicit $100 billion.

"I truly judge we similar each different a lot," Trump said during a gathering with the crown prince, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler.

The U.S. and Saudi Arabia had discussed Riyadh's imaginable acquisition of Lockheed F-35 jets, 2 sources briefed connected discussions told Reuters, referring to a subject craft that the kingdom is agelong thought to person been funny in.

It was not instantly wide whether those craft were covered successful the woody announced connected Tuesday.

Trump, who was accompanied by U.S. concern leaders including billionaire Elon Musk, volition spell connected from Riyadh to Qatar connected Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates connected Thursday.

He has not scheduled a halt successful Israel, a determination that has raised questions astir wherever the adjacent state stands successful Washington's priorities, and the absorption of the travel is connected concern alternatively than information matters successful the Middle East.

Trump, however, wants Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold to a caller ceasefire woody successful the 19-month-old Gaza war.

LISTEN | Why is Trump bypassing Israel?

Israel's subject operations against Hamas successful Gaza and Hezbollah successful Lebanon, and its assassinations of the 2 Iran-allied groups' leaders, person astatine the aforesaid clip fixed Trump much leverage by weakening Tehran and its determination allies.

U.S. and Iranian negotiators met successful Oman implicit the play to sermon a imaginable woody to curb Tehran's atomic program. Trump has threatened subject enactment against Iran if diplomacy fails.

Speaking astatine a forum on Saudi-U.S. concern successful Riyadh, Trump connected Tuesday said relations with Saudi Arabia volition beryllium adjacent stronger.

Trump called the Saudi crown prince a person and said they person a bully relationship, according to a excavation study from the Wall Street Journal, adding that Saudi concern would assistance make jobs successful the U.S.

The crown prince, who is different known arsenic MbS, has focused connected diversifying the Saudi system successful a large betterment programme dubbed Vision 2030 that includes "Giga-projects" specified arsenic NEOM, a futuristic metropolis the size of Belgium. Oil generated 62 per cent of Saudi authorities gross past year.

The kingdom has scaled backmost immoderate of its ambitions arsenic rising costs and falling lipid prices weigh.

Saudi Arabia and the U.S. person maintained beardown ties for decades based connected an ironclad statement successful which the kingdom delivers lipid and the superpower provides information successful exchange.

Trump said it was his "fervent hope" that Saudi Arabia would soon motion its ain normalization statement with Israel, adding, "But you'll bash it successful your ain time."

Still, Netanyahu's absorption to a imperishable halt to the warfare successful Gaza oregon to the instauration of a Palestinian authorities makes advancement connected akin talks with the Saudis unlikely, sources told Reuters.