Trump urges Syria's al-Sharaa to normalise ties with Israel in first meeting

US President Donald Trump urged his Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, to normalise relations with Israel during their first meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday.

The comments came shortly after Trump announced in a meeting with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leaders that the United States would lift "all sanctions" on Syria.

"With the support of the great leaders in this room, we are currently exploring normalising relations with Syria's new government," Trump said, adding that this would mark a "fresh start" for the war-torn country.

In addition to calling for normalisation with Israel, Trump urged al-Sharaa to deport Palestinians he labelled "terrorists", join the Abraham Accords, and take over responsibility for Islamic State (IS) detention centres in northeast Syria.

During the meeting, Trump also praised countries that had already normalised ties with Israel.

"I especially want to thank and congratulate the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain for their vision and courage in signing the historic Abraham Accords. It was something that's a very big thing," he said. "In the future, we’ll continue that progress by adding more countries to the Abraham Accords."

Trump went on to express his hope for the success of Syria’s new leadership following more than a decade of war and unrest.

"There is a new government we hope will succeed… I say good luck, Syria. Show us something special,” he added.

Diplomatic sources told Turkey’s Anadolu Agency that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also took part in the meeting via video call, alongside Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Following the meeting, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani posted on X: "We share this achievement with the Syrian people, who sacrificed themselves to restore Syria to its rightful state. Now, work has started towards a greater Syria, praise be to God."

Trump also confirmed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet with al-Shaibani in Turkey soon.

The meeting between Trump and al-Sharaa marked the first time in 25 years that a Syrian president has held direct talks with an American leader.

Trump is currently on a four-day trip to the Middle East and will next head to Qatar, where he is scheduled to attend a state dinner.

He will be welcomed by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at Hamad International Airport in Doha before travelling to the Amiri Diwan, the Qatari leader's official residence and workplace.