Trump Announces Syria Sanctions Lift
The Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera reports that the death toll from Israeli airstrikes last night in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip, has risen to at least 45 dead and dozens injured, CE Report quotes ANSA.
An additional six people are reported to have died since midnight in attacks by the Israeli state on the Palestinian enclave, again according to Al Jazeera. Last night, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ordered the immediate evacuation of certain northern areas of the Gaza Strip, signaling the launch of a military operation.
Yesterday's developments:
“Historic deals” worth $600 billion (including a record $142 billion in arms), the lifting of sanctions on Syria, pressure on Iran for a nuclear agreement, and on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza, where “people deserve a better future.”
Dubbed “Donald of Arabia” by some, the U.S. president—on his first foreign trip of his second term—blends massive business deals with his unpredictable diplomacy in the first stop in Riyadh.
The visit is marred by the decision to accept a luxury Boeing jet as a gift from Qatar and to exclude news agencies from Air Force One. However, the tycoon was received with full honors by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the marble-laden opulence of the royal palace.
“We like each other very much,” said Trump in a mutual exchange of praise, joined by a delegation of CEOs led by Elon Musk and including Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, Larry Fink, and John Elkann.
While the investments were somewhat expected, there was much anticipation for the more political portion of his speech at the Saudi-US Investment Forum, held before a wealthy audience of sheikhs at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Center.
His speech laid the groundwork for a (difficult) shift in the Middle East, where he said, “After so many decades of conflict, we finally have within reach a future that previous generations could only dream of: a land of peace, security, harmony, opportunity, innovation, and success.”
“A new generation of leaders is rising before our eyes, transcending ancient conflicts and tired divisions of the past, forging a future where the Middle East is defined by trade, not chaos; where it exports technology, not terrorism; and where people from different nations, religions, and beliefs build cities together instead of bombing each other,” he continued.
He thus paid tribute to the new Gulf leadership, which has “pursued its own visions and carved its own path in its own way,” without the “Western interventions” that failed in Kabul and Baghdad.
The major surprise was the announcement regarding Syria: the lifting of sanctions, restoration of relations between the two countries, and a show of support for the new government of President Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa (al-Jolani), whom he will meet on Wednesday in Riyadh.
