The sanctions were really crippling,” President Trump said, before he traveled to Qatar, where he was given a lavish welcome.

By Erin Banco, Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Donald Trump announced in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would lift all sanctions on Syria, the decision - which will boost a country devastated by 13 years of war - took many in the region by surprise.

P resident Donald Trump announced on Tuesday, May 13, that he plans to end the U.S. sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place for over 45 years. Announcing the news on the first day of his Middle East tour, during the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, Trump said he would be lifting sanctions “in order to give them [Syria] greatness.”