Trump says he will remove US sanctions on Syria

RIYADH - US President Donald Trump said on May 13 he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabias crown prince, in a huge boost for interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he seeks to stabilise a country shattered by war.

Mr Trump made the surprise announcement during a regional tour that began in Saudi Arabia.

The White House said Mr Trump would say hello to Mr Sharaa during his Saudi visit, indicating a meeting between the president and a former Al-Qaeda commander who spent five years in a US prison in Iraq would take place on May 14.

Two sources from the Syrian presidency said Mr Sharaa would travel to Riyadh to meet Mr Trump.

The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria during the rule of Mr Bashar al-Assad, and had kept them in place since he was toppled from power in December after more than 13 years of war.

Saudi Arabia has been a leading voice calling for the sanctions to be lifted.

Mr Trump said he would remove all sanctions against Syria, saying they had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward.

I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness, Mr Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh.

Its their time to shine. Were taking them all off, Mr Trump said, Good luck Syria, show us something very special.

Mr Sharaa was for years the leader of Al-Qaedas official wing in the Syrian conflict, before he severed ties with the global militant network in 2016.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the group Mr Sharaa led and which was formally dissolved in January, is designated a terrorist organisation by the US and the United Nations.