Trump met President al-Sharaa Wednesday in Riyadh to discuss diplomatic normalisation and pathways for foreign investment in Syria’s reconstruction. Former US Ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, welcomed the decision, saying, “Syria is simply devastated. The United States had maintained sanctions on Syria for more than a decade, targeting the Assad regime’s military, energy, and financial networks. On April 25, the UK government lifted sanctions on Syrian state institutions and sectors such as energy and finance. A stable Syria is in the UK’s national interest.”The EU had already suspended restrictions on Syria’s transport, banking, and energy sectors in February.