Revised Article
Trump announces intention to lift Syria sanctions during Saudi trip characterized by high-value agreements
Updated: May 14, 2025 | 1:17 PM CDT
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa: A Quantum Leap in U.S. Policy
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - In a groundbreaking move, President Trump announced on Tuesday plans to end sanctions on Syria that have been in place since 1979, and scheduled a brief encounter with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on Thursday. This abrupt turnaround in U.S. policy comes amidst al-Sharaa's rise as the leader of a government the United States once regarded as a terror group.
The event unfolded at an investment conference in Riyadh, where Trump delivered his first major foreign policy address of his second term. Amidst the applause, Trump stated, "There is a new government that shall hopefully maintain stability and promote peace."
Al-Sharaa, previously the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham—a group linked to al-Qaeda— spearheaded the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's government. He assumed the role of head of an interim government in January, working diligently to bolster his international legitimacy since then.
Trump's initial overseas trip of his second term has primarily been marked by business deals. His visit to Saudi Arabia was accompanied by an extensive delegation of top American CEOs and cabinet members that represent the wide-ranging business and security interests shared by the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is no longer merely a significant petroleum producer but is steadily transitioning to a diverse economy, aiming to position itself as a global peace broker and fostering new industries capable of creating millions of jobs for young Saudis. To achieve these goals, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is spearheading a country-wide rebrand and ambitious social transformation, liberalizing society, all while relying on the U.S. to remain a regional security guardian.
These shared objectives were highlighted in the deals reached during Trump's Riyadh visit. Trump described Prince Mohammed as an "extraordinary man," emphasizing his desire to strengthen the bilateral partnership. "It is more powerful than ever before, and let me tell you, it will remain this way. We don't fluctuate like others," Trump asserted.
Trump's arrival in Saudi Arabia unfolded differently than President Joe Biden's encounter with the crown prince in 2022. Biden opted not to shake hands with the crown prince on camera, instead opting for a fist bump. This was widely regarded as a snub in the region, but was derided at home as a capitulation following the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an operation that U.S. intelligence assessed had been approved by the crown prince. Conversations about human rights aren't anticipated in Trump's forthcoming discussions.
Trump advocated for progress in the region arising from self-determination instead of intervention from "nation builders, neocons, or liberal nonprofits" from the West.
He exalted the new generation of Middle Eastern leaders as "surmounting the ancient conflicts of outdated divisions" and characterizing the region "by commerce, not chaos, exporting technology over terrorism, and where diverse nations, religions, and creeds, are working collectively, not obliterating each other."
Trump's Commerce-Centric Diplomacy with Saudi Arabia
This visit, rooted in commerce, drew the attendance of key industry leaders from around the world, such as Elon Musk, CEOs from AI companies like Palantir and OpenAI, Nvidia, Google, Coca-Cola, Boeing, and other prominent American arms manufacturers, as well as asset management firms like Blackstone and BlackRock.
Trump had slated Saudi Arabia as his first overseas state visit after a call with the crown prince in January. During the conversation, the crown prince pledged that the kingdom would invest at least $600 billion into the U.S. over the next four years.
The White House revealed some of these pledges on Tuesday, including:
- $142 billion in arms deals from over a dozen U.S. firms
- $80 billion in technological investments from Google, Oracle, Salesforce, Uber, and Saudi companies in both countries
- $20 billion in AI data centers
- $14 billion in gas turbines from GE
- $14 billion to three sectoral funds for energy, defense, and sports
- $4.8 billion in Boeing planes
- $2 billion in infrastructure services projects
While most of President Biden’s term saw a pause in the sale of precision-guided munitions due to concerns about Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, the Saudis now view an opportunity to upgrade their entire arsenal and procure additional weaponry and ultra-modern aircraft, according to Elizabeth Dent, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
"The Saudis perceive Trump as a business-minded diplomat, someone who will make concessions in return for substantial investments into the United States," Dent stated.
The crown prince also aspires to develop a civilian nuclear program with U.S. technology, and these discussions are progressing under Trump. This ambition was previously linked to Saudi Arabia establishing relations with Israel, but the kingdom has insisted that such normalization will not be achieved without Israel ceasing its aggression in Gaza and creating a pathway to Palestinian statehood. The Israeli government, which leans towards the far-right, has thus far rejected both proposals while planning a further escalation of hostilities in Gaza amid a disastrous blockade that is leaving the region on the brink of famine, as per the latest findings by independent experts.
Trump expressed his fervent belief that Saudi Arabia would form diplomatic ties with Israel by joining the Abraham Accords. "I truly hope, wish, and even dream for Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel," Trump stated. "But you will make the decision in your own time, and that's what I want. That's what you want, and that's the way it's going to be."
Personal ties of Trump and His Family in the Gulf
Substantial amounts of money generated in the Gulf have infiltrated the Trump family's business ventures since President Trump was first elected nearly nine years ago. As recently as a few weeks ago, Eric Trump, who oversees the Trump Organization, visited the region to launch two new projects with a Saudi developer: a luxury Trump hotel tower featuring the world's highest pool and a sprawling Trump golf course with villas in Doha, Qatar. These projects add to additional Trump towers and projects underway in Saudi Arabia and Oman.
During his presidency, Trump's investments and assets have been held in a trust managed by his children. Despite these deals and others, they have faced criticism.
Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, previously secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund—overseen by the Saudi crown prince—which aided Kushner in launching his private equity fund shortly after leaving the White House where he was an adviser to Trump during his first term.
Mamoun Fandy, director of the London Global Strategy Institute think tank, argued that family business deals compromise the image of the office that Trump holds. "In the past, the presidency used to cost the president his financial well-being, if you will, that most people have to declare their assets and make sure they are separated from their office," Fandy stated. "Now everything is intertwined."
Trump's High-Stakes Diplomacy Includes Iran, Gaza, Syria, and Other Hotspots
Trump's speech generally ignored the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where the health ministry reports that Israeli attacks have claimed nearly 53,000 lives, a third of whom were children. "The people of Gaza deserve a much better future, but that cannot occur as long as their leaders kidnap, torture, and target innocent men, women, and children for political purposes," Trump stated.
Trump's team engaged in direct talks with Hamas in Qatar, resulting in the release of Israeli-American soldier and hostage, Edan Alexander, on Monday. His release from Gaza is placing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to return to negotiations to end the conflict and alter the government's plans for permanent occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Other Gulf states want sufficient time given to explore negotiations with Iran over its nuclear enrichment and missile program. There remains uncertainty surrounding the talks.
"The administration has provided inconsistent signals about whether, ultimately, it would agree to an arrangement under which Iran would be permitted to continue domestic enrichment," explained Daniel Shapiro, a fellow with the Atlantic Council and former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Mideast.
Trump stated his desire to broker a deal with Iran that would eliminate its nuclear aspirations, yet warned he would "impose harsh, persistent pressure" if Iran declines a deal. "This offer will not continue forever," Trump declared.
Copyright 2025 NPR.
- The news of Trump's meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has raised questions about the future of the economy, given the potential impact on U.S.-Syria relations, particularly in regards to technology and politics.
- The government's stance on the recent developments in the Middle East, including U.S.-Saudi Arabia relations and the potential normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, is a topic of general-news interest, with implications for global peace, commerce, and security.
- As Trump's second term foreign policy moves forward, focus is shifting to the areas of Iran, Gaza, and Syria, with technology and economic interests playing a crucial role in shaping the administration's diplomatic strategies.
