Trump offers Syria a new path: Sanctions lifted, Abraham Accords on the table

Report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Mariella Succar

To the tune of "YMCA," a song now closely associated with Donald Trump’s campaign events, the U.S. president exited the stage of the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum after delivering a speech he said would change the course of Middle East history.

Responding primarily to requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President, Trump announced the lifting of all U.S. sanctions on Syria.

In a swift diplomatic move, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrived in Riyadh on Tuesday evening. By 10:07 a.m. Wednesday, a long-anticipated meeting began, with the Turkish president joining by phone. 

From that moment, al-Sharaa was recognized as the legitimate president of Syria by two of the world's most influential nations.

"You have a great opportunity to do something historic for your country," Trump told al-Sharaa before outlining the core of the discussion, which the White House later summarized in five key points.

Trump urged al-Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords with Israel, demand the departure of all foreign terrorist fighters from Syria, deport Palestinians designated by Washington as ‘terrorists,’ cooperate with the U.S. to prevent the resurgence of ISIS, and assume responsibility for ISIS detention centers in northeastern Syria.

These demands are not new; Syria reportedly received them nearly two months ago. Whether al-Sharaa has agreed to fulfill them in full remains unclear. 

What is certain is that these points will form the basis of future U.S. expectations of Syria, and progress on them will determine whether al-Sharaa can prove to Trump that his decision to re-engage with Damascus was justified.