U.S. to lift sanctions on Syria as Trump offers 'olive branch' to Iran
by Sheri Walsh · UPIMay 13 (UPI) -- Syrians have endured "brutal and crippling" sanctions over the past 14 years, and it's time to end them, President Donald Trump announced Tuesday in Saudi Arabia, as he warned Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face "maximum pressure."
"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump said in Riyadh, adding that Syrians have "seen so much misery and death" during its years-long civil war.
During his speech, Trump also issued a warning to Iran, "which has caused unthinkable suffering in Syria," to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face "maximum pressure."
"I am here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran's leaders, but to offer them a new path, a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future," Trump said amid ongoing nuclear negotiations.
"I have never believed in having permanent enemies," he added. "But sometimes, enemies get you motivated. Some of the closest friends of the United States of America are nations we fought wars against."
"I want to make a deal with Iran," Trump said. "But if Iran rejects this olive branch and continues to attack their neighbors then we will have no choice but to inflict massive, maximum pressure."
"They cannot have a nuclear weapon," the president warned. "This is an offer that will not last forever. The time is right now to choose. We don't have a lot of time to wait."
On Tuesday, the Trump administration also signed several new agreements, to include military cooperation with Saudi Arabia, as the president highlighted the countries' close ties.
Trump agreed to end sanctions against Syria at the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, The Hill reported.
The sanctions targeted the Assad regime and "served as an important function," Trump said Tuesday, "but now it's time [for Syria] to shine."
The U.S. designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979 and imposed sanctions on the nation in 2004 and in 2011 following former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's efforts to end anti-government protests.
Sanctions imposed by the United States deprived Syria of access to global financial systems and added sanctions against the Assad regime while the Syrian civil war raged for several years.
The Biden administration in November sanctioned a Syrian conglomerate after accusing it of using oil revenues to fund Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force and Yemen's Houthi rebels for attacking U.S. forces in the Middle East.
Syria has endured civil war, terrorist attacks and sectarian warfare that included the Islamic State taking control of parts of the nation in 2014.
Western powers afterward undertook a bombing campaign to eliminate the Islamic State and restore full power to Syria.
Assad's regime lost power in December when the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militia took control of the Syrian capital of Damascus and other parts of the country.
Syria's new president is Ahmed al-Sharaa, who is a former member of al-Qaida who says he has reformed his ways.
The fall of Assad's regime prompted the easing of some U.S. sanctions, but not all of them.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Syria's new foreign minister in Turkey later this week, Trump said.
Tuesday marks the president's first of four days in the Middle East.
Trump will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh on Wednesday before he departs for Qatar. Trump is also scheduled to visit the United Arab Emirates later in the week.