Trump To Lift Sanctions On Syria
President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, revealed plans to lift sanctions on Syria and meet with its newly installed president, Ahmed al-Shaara, on Wednesday.
Trump disclosed this during a speech in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“In Syria, which has seen so much misery and death, there is a new government that we must all hope will succeed in stabilising the country and keeping peace. So I say good luck, Syria,” he stated.
The announcement marks a sharp turn from longstanding U.S. policy, which had isolated Syria under former President Bashar al-Assad, whose regime was accused of war crimes during the nation’s 14-year civil war.
Trump indicated that talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan helped shape his decision.
Trump also announced that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to meet Syria’s foreign minister in Türkiye later this week while also attending Russian-Ukrainian peace discussions in Istanbul on Thursday.
Trump, who is also considering a broader conflict resolution during, said he hopes that the war in Ukraine would come to an end and thanked Saudi Arabia for mediating between Ukraine and Russia.
“We want to stop the war in Ukraine. Peace is possible, and we must do everything to achieve it,” Trump said.
While Trump spoke of peace with Syria and Ukraine, he took a tougher stance on Iran, offering a deal but warning of serious consequences if it keeps up its regional aggression.
“Iran will never have a nuclear weapon,” Trump vowed, adding that he is open to a new agreement but warned of “massive maximum pressure” and a total cutoff of Iranian oil exports if its leadership rejects U.S. proposals.
“This is an offer that will not last forever,” Trump said.
“The time is right now for them to choose,” he added.
Trump also renewed efforts to expand the Abraham Accords, urging Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel.
“It’s my fervent hope, wish, and even my dream that Saudi Arabia … will soon be joining the Abraham Accords,” he said.
While Israel has welcomed the development, Palestinian officials rejected it, describing such a move as “another treacherous stab to the Palestinian cause”.
Trump described his moves as part of efforts to end historical hostilities and usher in a new era of diplomacy.
“I am here today not merely to condemn the past choices of Iran’s leaders but to offer them a better path,” he said.
Trump To Lift Sanctions On Syria is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
