Trump Urges Syria’s Leader to Join Abraham Accords, Deport Palestinians, and Take Over ISIS Camps
President Trump told President Al-Sharaa that he had “a tremendous opportunity to do something historic” for his nation. He urged the Syrian leader to take bold steps toward regional normalization and cooperation with the West.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — U.S. President Donald Trump met Wednesday with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Riyadh, in a historic diplomatic encounter facilitated by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and joined virtually by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The meeting marked the highest-level engagement between the U.S. and Syria in over two decades and laid the groundwork for what the White House called a potential “historic opportunity” for Syria’s future.
According to a statement by Karoline Leavitt, Assistant to the President and White House Press Secretary, the meeting took place at the invitation of the Saudi Crown Prince. President Erdoğan participated via phone and praised Trump’s recent decision to lift long-standing U.S. sanctions on Syria, pledging to collaborate with Saudi Arabia in supporting peace and prosperity for the war-torn country. The Crown Prince described Trump’s decision as “courageous.”
President Trump told President Al-Sharaa that he had “a tremendous opportunity to do something historic” for his nation. He urged the Syrian leader to take bold steps toward regional normalization and cooperation with the West. Specifically, Trump asked Al-Sharaa to:
1: Sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel;
2: Expel all foreign terrorists from Syrian territory;
3: Deport Palestinian militants;
4: Support U.S. efforts to prevent a resurgence of ISIS;
5: Take full responsibility for ISIS detention facilities in northeastern Syria.
The Abraham Accords, originally brokered by Trump during his first term, have led to normalization between Israel and several Arab states, including the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. Syria’s potential accession would mark a dramatic regional realignment and a sharp break from decades of hostility.
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
In response, President Al-Sharaa thanked Trump, Erdoğan, and the Crown Prince for organizing the meeting. He acknowledged the changing dynamics in the region—particularly the withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria—as a significant opening for political and economic stabilization. Al-Sharaa reiterated Syria’s commitment to the 1974 disengagement agreement with Israel and expressed shared interest with Washington in eliminating terrorism and eradicating chemical weapons from Syrian soil.
Al-Sharaa also voiced aspirations for Syria to serve as a trade hub connecting East and West and invited American companies to invest in Syria’s energy sector, particularly oil and gas.
The conversation also touched on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and the war in Gaza, reflecting growing concerns about global instability and its ripple effects across the Middle East.
This meeting follows Trump’s announcement earlier this week that he would lift the sanctions on Syria that had been in place since the start of the civil war in 2011.
Wednesday’s summit represents a pivotal moment in U.S.-Syria relations and signals a new phase in Washington’s Middle East strategy, one centered on transactional diplomacy, counterterrorism, and regional integration. Further developments are expected as the Trump administration continues its tour of the Gulf.
