President Donald Trump on Tuesday lifted all United States sanctions on Syria. He is considering similar relief for Iran if it accepts limits on its nuclear program, pitching himself as a broker of “commerce, not chaos” during a speech in the Saudi capital.
Trump told an audience of Gulf leaders and business chiefs that the move on Syria is meant to give Damascus “a chance at greatness.”
According to Politico, Trump said the decision came after encouragement from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who sat in the front row. “Oh, what I do for the crown prince,” the president said.
Turning to Iran, Trump declared that Tehran “will never have a nuclear weapon,” yet offered what he called “an olive branch.” He said a new deal to scale back Iran’s atomic work could lift economic sanctions. “Iran can have a much brighter future,” he said. “The choice is theirs to make.”
He warned that the offer “will not last forever” and promised “maximum pressure” if talks fail. “Things are happening at a very fast pace,” he said. “So they have to make their move.”
The remarks came after Trump’s first day in Riyadh, where he had earlier met investors and hailed a promised USD 600 billion flow of Saudi money into U.S. projects.
He described the kingdom as a place of growth and limitless potential and said a new generation of Arab leaders is “transcending the ancient conflicts” that held the area back.
Trump said Western nation‑building has hurt more countries than it helped
In setting out this vision, Trump contrasted himself with past American administrations that tied foreign policy to spreading democracy.
Without naming former President George W. Bush, he rejected the nation‑building approach linked to the Iraq invasion. “
It is crucial for the wider world to note, this great transformation has not come from Western interventionists flying in with lectures on how to live or how to govern your own affairs,” he said. The “so‑called ‘nation‑builders,’” he added, “wrecked far more nations than they built.”
Even while stepping away from that history, Trump said the United States is ready to push new diplomacy.
He spoke of talks that could involve Iran, Lebanon and Syria and said he hopes to see Saudi Arabia someday join the Abraham Accords and normalize ties with Israel. “I really think it’s going to be something special, but you’ll do it in your own time,” he told the crown prince.
On Iran, Trump repeated that its leaders “steal their people’s wealth to fund terror and bloodshed abroad,” yet said Washington is ready to offer “a new path.” “As I have shown repeatedly, I am willing to end past conflicts and forge new partnerships for a better and more stable world, even if our differences may be very profound,” he said.
Trump highlighted his bid to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
He said Istanbul could host talks on Thursday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With Putin’s attendance uncertain, Trump will keep to visits in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and will instead send Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to the Turkish meeting, a White House official said.
Trump pointed to a recent cease‑fire with Iran‑backed Houthi fighters after nearly two months of clashes in the Red Sea. “We hit them hard. We got what we came for, and then we got out,” he said.
He opened his address with a recap of his first months in office, citing steps to curb immigration, cut rules, and strike trade pacts with the United Kingdom and China. “We are rocking, the United States is the hottest country,” he said before pausing to praise his hosts. “With the exception of your country,” he added. “You’re hotter.”
Trump’s week‑long tour will take him to Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and possibly Egypt as he seeks more investment pledges and support for his diplomatic agenda.
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