US President Donald Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Monday and told him to normalise relations with long-time foe Israel, following the US's surprise announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government. Trump met with Ahmed al-Sharaa, who once pledged allegiance to al-Qaeda and came to power at the head of a group that Washington has designated a terrorist organisation, ahead of a summit between the US and Gulf Arab states.
He called on the Syrian president to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which normalized relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, the White House said on X.
According to the Washington Post, Trump said he thinks Syria will join at some point.
"I think they need to calm down. I said, 'I hope you'll join when that's sorted out.' He said, 'Yeah.' But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said.
Photos released on Saudi state television show them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The move represents a major shift in U.S. policy. The United States designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004, and imposed additional sanctions after the outbreak of civil war in 2011.
He called on the Syrian president to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco, which normalized relations with Israel under the US-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, the White House said on X.
According to the Washington Post, Trump said he thinks Syria will join at some point.
"I think they need to calm down. I said, 'I hope you'll join when that's sorted out.' He said, 'Yeah.' But they have a lot of work to do," Trump said.
Photos released on Saudi state television show them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The move represents a major shift in U.S. policy. The United States designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979, added sanctions in 2004, and imposed additional sanctions after the outbreak of civil war in 2011.
