Trump seeks to portray himself as a peace maker, aiming to lift sanctions against Syria.

In the heart of Saudi Arabia, a sizzling hotbed for billionaire president Trump's quest for billions, the quick-witted leader tore into the US left and right, claiming they'd masqueraded as "nation builders" only to leave a trail of smashed dreams and shattered nations in their wake.

Chomping at the bit, Trump reiterated his desire for a cozy US-Iran relationship, but wasn't shy about dishing out a warning to Iran's rulers – failure in talks with him would come at a hefty price.

Laying down the gauntlet in his most sensational announcement, Trump declared he'd be putting an end to longstanding US sanctions on Syria. A move that, once upon a time, seemed as likely as a pig sprouting wings.

"I'll be ordering sanctions against Syria to cease, giving them a chance to glow like a superstar!" Trump bellowed in a speech peppered with Kansas-style bravado, in Riyadh.

"Those sanctions were relentless and crushing," he boasted, "But now it's their time to strut their stuff."

Logic would dictate that any one tricky enough to wrangle some face time with Syria's interim president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, would be uber-political, but a US official confirmed Trump will at least send a friendly wave his way in Riyadh on Wednesday. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled for a more in-depth chinwag with Syria's foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibini, later this week in Turkey.

Shaibini, needless to say, was pleased as punch about the sanctions' imminent demise, telling Syria's state news agency SANA that the relief marked "a game-changing minute for the Syrian people."

Trump's announcement can be attributed mostly to the appeals of Saudi Arabia's real boss, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – who couldn't contain his excitement at the announcement – and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a long-time benefactor of Syria's triumphant Islamist rebels.

The United Nations, for one, was well chuffed by the news, with spokesman Stephane Dujarric praising the sanctions' relaxation as "a help for the Syrian people to heal from over a decade of conflict."

Major world players such as the European Union, Britain, and Canada had already eased their sanctions, but the United States had resisted, keeping the sanctions tight as a drum. The sanctions had stymied investment in Syria, whose economy had taken a pounding during the brutal civil war.

Following Assad's ousting, Washington, under President Biden, had insisted on certain conditions for the sanctions' removal, including protection for minorities. But concerning incidents targeting the Alawite and Druze minorities have stirred the waters in recent weeks.

Trump's policy shift on Syria is a stark departure from the path of his predecessor, Bill Clinton, who, way back in 2000, unsuccessfully tugged at Bashar al-Assad's sleeve in search of peace with Israel. Ever the game changer, Trump's moves on both Syria and Iran put him on a collision course with Israel, a nation he's shown consistent support for in the past.

Netanyahu's tenure as Israeli PM has been marked by repeated strikes on Syria, demands for demilitarization of the south, and meddling with Iran's nuclear program. The Trump administration, for their part, have been locked in talks with Iran in hopes of reaching a nuclear accord to dodge war.

But don't get your panties in a bunch, because the more things change, the more they stay the same. Trump had a bone to pick with Iran's leaders, accusing them of embezzling the wealth of their people, supporting terrorism, and dragging entire regions down with them. But he also offered them a lifeline, proposing "a better path" to a brighter future.

Should talks fail, however, Trump threatened sanctions to halt all Iranian oil exports – and – should his threats fail to deter Iran, he made it clear he'd resort to "maximum pressure."

In true Trump fashion, his speech channeled the spicy rhetoric of his domestic digs, with jabs at adversaries and a bizarre, spontaneous dance-off between the Saudi crown prince and the Village People's gay anthem-turned-campaign-song, "YMCA."

You could almost hear the MAGA hats cheering from the heavens.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a long-time benefactor of Syria's triumphant Islamist rebels, was part of the group that influenced Trump's decision to relax US sanctions on Syria.
Canada has already eased its sanctions on Syria, but the United States had resisted, keeping the sanctions tight.
The United Nations was pleased with the news of the sanctions' relaxation, as it would help the Syrian people heal from over a decade of conflict.
Trump's policy shift on Syria is a stark departure from the path of his predecessor, Bill Clinton, who unsuccessfully tugged at Bashar al-Assad's sleeve in search of peace with Israel.

Trump seeks to portray himself as a peace maker, aiming to lift sanctions against Syria.