Trump from Riyadh: ‘Good luck, Syria’

“I’ve come this afternoon to talk about the bright future of the Middle East” — this is how the voice of US President Donald Trump echoed everywhere, among those who love him and those who oppose him. He chose to deliver his remarks in the evening in Riyadh, which was morning in the US. He didn’t give a general speech, nor one specifically about US-Saudi relations, but instead focused his address on the region’s main issues.

He praised the economic changes in Saudi Arabia: “While your skill has turned dry deserts into fertile farmland, Iran’s leaders have managed to turn green farmland into dry deserts.” He added: “I’m here today not merely to condemn the past chaos of Iran’s leaders, but to offer them a new path and a much better path toward a far better and more hopeful future.”

Trump said he will always stand up for peace and forging partnerships, adding that those who think otherwise are fools

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

Then he dropped a surprise on everyone by announcing a new American course: ending the rupture with Syria and lifting sanctions against it. Just two weeks ago, sources in the US State Department and even some White House advisers were rejecting any call to lift sanctions on Syria. Their response was: “Let’s wait until the end of the year and see.”

President Trump said he listened to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and did not just lift the ban, but also initiated the restoration of US diplomatic relations with Damascus, which have been severed since 2012.

He addressed the Iranian leaders, hoping to persuade them to negotiate peace and abandon their nuclear project. He said Tehran will never obtain a nuclear weapon and that he wants to make a deal in order to make the world a safer place. Responding to critics of his negotiations with Iran, he said he will always stand up for peace and forging partnerships, adding that those who think otherwise are fools. The US president feels he can convince Iran to pursue complete change and he is giving it the chance to do so.

Trump became convinced that it is better not to hold the new government accountable for sanctions placed on the old one

Abdulrahman Al-Rashed

The major moment was his clear and unconditional announcement that he would restore relations with Al-Sharaa’s Syria. Until Tuesday, Syrian diplomats were banned from moving freely in New York, restricted to just a few city blocks, and the government was only allowed to receive a maximum of $15 million a month in foreign aid to cover employee salaries.

Why did he change US policy? Trump became convinced that it is better not to hold the new government accountable for sanctions placed on the old one, and not to punish the Syrian people over “future possibilities.” In reality, maintaining sanctions would have meant tearing Syria apart. Riyadh’s position was: give them a chance, so Syria’s fortunes and future might change. Trump said: “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking (all the sanctions) off... Good luck, Syria. Show us something very special.”

As for Saudi Arabia itself, Trump was keen to repeatedly express his appreciation and admiration for the crown prince, recalling his previous visit eight years ago and the positive changes that have since taken place. The US president said he was right about the crown prince, adding: “Today … we take the next steps to make our relationship closer, stronger and more powerful than ever before.” At the same time, he said the US would confront any threat against it or its partners with “overwhelming strength and devastating force.”

• Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a Saudi journalist and intellectual. He is the former general manager of Al-Arabiya news channel and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat, where this article was originally published. X: @aalrashed