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 Trump, speaking in Saudi Arabia, said he will order the end of sanctions against Syria to normalize relations with its new government.

President Trump met with Syria's interim President on Wednesday, a day after lifting sanctions and marking a major policy shift towards peace and rebuilding relations.

Syria's interim president on Wednesday praised US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions on the country.

When President Donald Trump announced in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would lift all sanctions on Syria, the decision, which will boost a country devastated by 13 years of war, took many in the region by surprise.