President Donald Trump's announcement that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years, was met with jubilant celebrations in the Syrian capital of Damascus. People in the streets cheered and waved Syrian flags.

Disclosing the news on the first leg of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum in Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”

He described the sanctions as “brutal and crippling,” but also noted their important function before the collapse of the Bashar Assad regime in December 2024.

On Wednesday morning, before departing for Doha, Qatar, Trump met with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. They were accompanied by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan joined remotely via telephone.

While travelling to Doha on Air Force One, Trump shared with reporters his impression of al-Sharaa, calling him a "young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter… He’s got a real shot at holding it together.”

Read More: Trump Meets With Syria’s President After Announcing Plans to Lift U.S. Sanctions on Country

Shiraz Maher, a writer and lecturer of war studies at King’s College London, says that Trump’s announcement shows “an explicit vote of confidence in the new Administration. It gives Syria a new opportunity.”I see this as something that Obama tried to do, leading from behind, removing obstacles, and giving Syria an opportunity to do it their way.”

In a post-meeting update shared on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump urged al-Sharaa to sign the Abraham Accords to normalize relations with Israel. He also encouraged al-Sharaa to remove foreign terrorists from Syria and help the United States prevent the resurgence of ISIS.

The Abraham Accords, established during Trump’s first term, involve a number of Arab and Muslim states normalizing diplomatic and economic ties with Israel.

Since the collapse of the Assad regime in December, Israel has conducted airstrikes within Syria, recently near Damascus, citing violence in Druze areas. Israeli forces have also reportedly expanded military operations beyond the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in the southwest corner of Syria.