Trump meets Syrian president, urges him to establish ties with Israel

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's president in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel, after a surprise U.S. announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government. 

Trump met Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa, who once pledged allegiance to al Qaeda and swept to power at the head of a group that Washington has called a terrorist organisation, before a summit between the United States and Gulf Arab countries. 

He urged Sharaa to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which normalised relations with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, the White House press secretary posted on X.

Trump said he thought Syria would join at some point, according to a Washington Post pool report.

"I think they have to get themselves straightened up. I told him, 'I hope you’re going to join when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do," said Trump.

Photos posted on Saudi state television showed them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS.

Despite concerns within sectors of his own administration over Syria's leaders' former ties to al Qaeda, Trump said on Tuesday he would lift sanctions on Syria in a major policy shift. 

Trump's Middle East trip has fuelled doubts in Israel about where the country stands in Washington's priorities.

The U.S. exploring the possibility of normalising ties with Syria, one of Israel's biggest foes, and holding nuclear talks with its other enemy Iran has sidelined Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies in the government.

Israel considers Iran's nuclear program "an existential threat" and does not trust Syria's new Islamist president. Israeli officials have continued to describe Sharaa as a jihadist, though he severed ties with al Qaeda in 2016.

The Israeli prime minister's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump, who said his Gulf region trip does not sideline Israel, told reporters the fact he has relationships with countries in the Middle East is "very good for Israel".

He said the meeting with Sharaa, who he described as a young, attractive guy with a very strong past, was "great".

"He's got a real shot at holding it together," said Trump.

Sharaa was for years the leader of al Qaeda's official wing in the Syrian conflict.

He first joined the group in Iraq, where he spent five years in a U.S. prison. The United States removed a $10 million bounty on his head in December.

The U.S. also hopes regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia will join the Abraham Accords, but discussions came to a halt after the Gaza war erupted and the kingdom insists there can be no normalisation without Palestinian statehood.

BOOST FOR SYRIA'S NEW LEADERS

The decision to lift sanctions is a boost for Sharaa, who has been struggling to bring the country under the control of the government after toppling former President Bashar al-Assad in December. 

Removing U.S. barriers that cut Syria off from the global financial system will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organizations and will ease foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds from a civil war.

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told a press conference that there are many investment opportunities in Syria and Riyadh will support its economic recovery.

Israel, which counts the U.S. as its strongest ally, opposes sanctions relief for Syria and has escalated military strikes there since Assad was toppled, saying it will not tolerate an Islamist presence in southern Syria.

The challenges facing Syria's new government were also laid bare in March when Assad loyalists assailed government forces, prompting attacks in which Islamist gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, drawing U.S. condemnation. 

The Syrian foreign minister said on Wednesday the meeting between Trump and Sharaa included discussions about combating terrorism and cooperation in eliminating the influence of armed groups that threaten Syrian stability, including Islamic State. 

This meeting will be followed by another between the Syrian foreign minister and his U.S. counterpart Marco Rubio.

BUSINESS DEALS

Trump's first day of a four-day swing through the Gulf region brought a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the U.S. and $142 billion in U.S. arms sales to the kingdom. 

On Wednesday, Trump flew to the Qatari capital Doha, which he helped isolate in 2017, when he lent support to a trade and diplomatic embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt on Qatar. They accused the tiny but wealthy gas producer of backing terrorism among other charges.

Qatar has since sought to rehabilitate itself in Washington's eyes and Doha's efforts have been rewarded by the first visit to Qatar by a U.S. president in 23 years.

The United States and Qatar signed agreements on defence and aircraft deals, with Qatar Airways ordering 160 Boeing jets for over $200 billion.Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who said Doha and Washington "are going to another level" witnessed the signing ceremony.