President Donald Trump announced plans to remove sanctions on Syria while speaking during his visit to Saudi Arabia, the first stop of a three-day regional trip.

“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump said to a standing ovation from the Saudi crowd.

Trump’s visit to the kingdom included an official royal welcome, according to the Washington Post. The trip is part of broader efforts to reshape US involvement in the Middle East.

Sanctions on Syria have been in place for decades. The country was first designated as a State Sponsor of Terrorism in 1979. Later, Executive Order 13338 was signed on May 5, 2004, which imposed further restrictions on Syria’s government and economy.
 

“There’s a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace,” Trump said.

The decision to lift the longstanding sanctions came after conversations with Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, and Turkish President Recep Erdogan. He noted that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with Syria’s foreign minister in Turkey later this week.

“Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump quipped.

During the speech, Trump also spoke about the release of US-Israeli Edan Alexander, who was held hostage in Gaza since October 7. 

“We’ve brought a lot [of captives] already, but we’re bringing back more,” Trump said.

“We continue to work to get that war ended as quickly as possible, it’s a horrible thing that’s taking place."

He also said he wants to make a deal with Iran, though he was clear that if Iran rejects the "olive branch and continues to attack its neighbours," then the US would hit back with "massive maximum pressure" to drive Iranian oil exports "to zero." He also vowed that Iran will "never have a nuclear weapon."

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.