US President Donald Trump announced in Saudi Arabia that he hopes the new government in Syria would embrace peace. “My administration has taken the first steps toward restoring normal relations between the United States and Syria for the first time in more than a decade,” he said.
Trump said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet with his Syrian counterpart in Turkey later in the week. The president also said he had discussed Syria with Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia Mohammad bin Salman.
He had also spoken with Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Trump said he would “order the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance.” As part of his doctrine, the US president is moving quickly to make changes in the Middle East that align with his vision: one of peace, stability, and change.
The American president had already made waves before arriving in the region. He ended US strikes on the Houthis, and worked to free American hostage Edan Alexander from Hamas captivity. Before Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia, there were rumors that he would meet the new president of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa.
He has now moved with lightning speed to aid Syria so that it can get access to investment for development. After a decade and a half of civil war with millions displaced, Syria needs this. The new administration in Damascus also has made a deal with the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in eastern Syria to integrate them into the new government.
There are challenges in Syria. The new administration of President Sharaa has faced difficulty reining in some extremist groups who have attacked minorities. There have been clashes with the Alawites and Druze. Sharaa moved to prevent clashes with the Kurds. He hosted Kurdish SDF leader Mazloum Abdi in Damascus in March.
The US military, which backs the SDF in fighting ISIS, was helpful in backing these meetings. As such, the main American role in Syria is to already help broker deals with Damascus. It was only a matter of time before the White House might come around and see the possibilities. For Trump, this can mean ending the US role in Syria and drawing down forces, something he wanted to do back in 2018 and 2019 in his first term.
Turkey, Trump, and Al Sharaa
Trump also listens to Erdogan. Turkey is a keen supporter of Sharaa. In addition, the Syrian leader’s first foreign visit was to Saudi Arabia. As such, it is clear that Riyadh and Ankara both want the US to engage with Damascus.
Trump is a risk-taker and dealmaker. He also believes in personal discussions. That is why the talks with Saudi Arabia’s Bin Salman and Turkey’s Erdogan were so vital to making the new US policy happen. It is possible Trump will meet Sharaa as well. “Sharaa is set to become the first Syrian leader to meet an American president since the late Hafez al-Assad met Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000,” Arab News reported. This would be a huge game changer for the region.
Israel now appears to be pursuing an unhelpful policy in Syria in terms of the bombing campaign and rhetoric against Sharaa. Officials in Jerusalem have slammed him as a “jihadist” and threatened to intervene. They have threatened him several times, carrying out an airstrike near the Syrian presidential palace.
This kind of belligerent behavior is less welcome, as many countries want to see Syria succeed. Syria has had 14 years of war, and more bombing is not seen as necessary or helpful. While Israel’s stated policy is to help the Druze, the fact is that bombing likely does not actually help them. In addition, the IDF has pushed into a buffer zone, and this has caused friction with Syrians in southern Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he wants to see southern Syria demilitarized.
Now things may be changing. The UAE is reportedly trying to broker a deal between Israel and Syria. And there is talk of Damascus doing outreach. This could all mean a change of tone in Jerusalem and a decision to end the airstrikes, which are not a substitute for regional strategy.
The last 19 months of war that began with the Hamas October 7 attack were an attempt, in part, by Iran to derail the Abraham Accords. Getting away from airstrikes and back into the game of diplomacy could help smooth the way for the accords to grow. Trump is signaling that it’s time to turn the page on Syria.