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.

"Oh, what I do for the crown prince," Trump said, recounting how he arrived at the decision following discussions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

President Donald Trump has met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the first such encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years.

By Yousef Saba, Gram Slattery, Pesha Magid and Nafisa EltahirRIYADH (Reuters) -President Donald Trump kicked off his trip to the Gulf on Tuesday with a surprise announcement that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria,