Trump meets Syrian leader in Saudi Arabia the day after announcing end of U.S. sanctions

The leader of Syria’s Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group that headed a lightning rebel offensive snatching Damascus from government control, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, addresses a crowd at the capital’s landmark Umayyad Mosque on December 8, 2024.

Abdulaziz Ketaz | Afp | Getty Images

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia before heading to Qatar on Wednesday, the White House said, one day after Washington announced the lifting of U.S. sanctions on the war-ravaged country.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman oversaw the meeting, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined by phone.

“President Trump thanked President Erdogan and the Crown Prince for their friendship, and told President Al-Sharaa that he has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country,” a readout from the White House said.

This breaking new story is being updated.

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