Trump praises Syria's 'tremendous progress' under al-Sharaa

US President Donald Trump offered unexpected praise for Syria's leadership during a White House meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, noting the country's "tremendous progress" under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump revealed that both the Saudi crown prince and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had personally advocated for lifting economic sanctions against Syria. "The president of Türkiye, Erdogan, called me specifically," Trump stated. "He said, 'You know, if you don't lift the sanctions, Syria doesn't have a chance. If you do, they have a very good chance.'"

Sanctions Relief and Regional Diplomacy

The American president acknowledged acting on this diplomatic outreach by removing certain restrictions, noting that "the results so far been pretty good." This sanctions relief included delisting senior Syrian officials from UN and US terror-related sanctions. Trump's comments came during al-Sharaa's recent visit to Washington, where the US leader characterized the Syrian president as "a strong guy" necessary for governing the nation. The administration has utilized 180-day waivers to suspend certain sanctions, though permanent removal requires congressional approval.

Legislative Context and Reconstruction Efforts

The potential full repeal of remaining sanctions, particularly the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, appears to be gaining bipartisan support in Congress, including from leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Since the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad last year, Syria has actively sought expanded international cooperation and sanctions relief to facilitate reconstruction after more than a decade of devastating civil war. The Trump administration's engagement marks a significant shift in US policy toward Damascus amid ongoing regional realignments.