U.S.-Syria relations take new turn as Trump, Syrian president meet

President Trump met Wednesday with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa, praising him as “young, attractive guy” and urging him to rid Syria of Palestinian terrorists. This was a historic first in 25 years between the two leaders and came shortly after Trump lifted long-standing U.S.-sanctions from Syria, a move seen as a major step toward addressing its conflict with Israel over Palestinian territory. Trump also bypassed usual protocols by personally engaging with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during the meeting, which marked a significant shift in U.S.-Syria relations.