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US President Donald Trump on Wednesday met Syria's president in Saudi Arabia and urged him to normalise ties with longtime foe Israel. The recent development comes after a surprise U.S. announcement that it would lift all sanctions on the Islamist-led government.

Today, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi… pic.twitter.com/0yhyZbQ1o0

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 14, 2025

The US president met Syria's Ahmed al-Sharaa before a summit between the United States and Gulf Arab countries, reports news agency Reuters. According to the report, Trump urged Sharaa to join the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, which normalised relations with Israel under the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords in 2020, the White House press secretary posted on X.

Trump said he thought Syria would join at some point, according to a Washington Post pool report.

"I think they have to get themselves straightened up. I told him, 'I hope you’re going to join when it’s straightened out.’ He said, ‘Yes.’ But they have a lot of work to do," said Trump.

According to Reuters, photos posted on the Saudi state television showed them shaking hands in the presence of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, also known as MbS.

The trip of the US president to the Middle East has fuelled doubts in Israel about where the country stands in the priorities of Washington. The US exploring the possibility of normalising ties with Syria, one of the biggest foes of Israel, has sidelined the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies in the government.