During visit to Saudi Arabia, Trump lifts sanctions on Syria and signes Washington’s ‘biggest defense deal’
President Donald Trump kicked off his trip to the Gulf on Tuesday with a surprise announcement that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, and a $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the U.S., Reuters writes.
The U.S. agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142 billion, according to the White House which called it the largest “defense cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done.
As noted, the end of sanctions on Syria would be a huge boost for a country that has been shattered by more than a decade of civil war. Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh at the start of a deals-focused trip that also brought a flurry of diplomacy, Trump said he was acting on a request to scrap the sanctions by Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said, drawing laughs from the audience. He said the sanctions had served an important function but that it was now time for the country to move forward.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said on X that the planned move marked a “new start” in Syria’s path to reconstruction.
Trump and the Saudi crown prince signed an agreement covering energy, defense, mining and other areas. Trump has sought to strengthen relations with the Saudis to improve regional ties with Israel and act as a bulwark against Iran.
The agreement covers deals with more than a dozen U.S. defense companies for areas including air and missile defense, air force and space, maritime security and communications, a White House fact sheet said. The Saudi prince noted that the deal includes $600 billion in investment opportunities, including $300 billion in deals signed during Trump’s visit.
“We will be working on the second phase in the coming months to complete the deals and bring it to $1 trillion,” he said. Saudi Arabia is one of the largest buyers of U.S. weapons.
The United States and Saudi Arabia have discussed Riyadh’s possible purchase of Lockheed F-35 fighter jets, two sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters, referring to the military aircraft in which the kingdom has long been interested.
Trump, accompanied by American business leaders including billionaire Elon Musk, will travel from Riyadh to Qatar and then to the United Arab Emirates. He has not scheduled a visit to Israel, a decision that has raised questions about where the close ally ranks in Washington’s priorities. The trip is said to focus on investment, not security issues in the Middle East.
Trump also said he wants to offer Iran a new and better path to a more beneficial future. If a new nuclear deal is not signed, the US president said Iran will face maximum pressure.
