P resident Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, May 13, that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years. Announcing the news on the first day of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”

President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will ease sanctions on Syria could eventually facilitate the country’s recovery from years of civil war and transform the lives of everyday Syrians

President Trump met with Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after announcing he would lift U.S. sanctions against Syria, a move celebrated in a country trying to rebuild after more than a decade of civil war and international isolation.