The US has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia an arms package worth nearly $142bn described by the White House as the “largest defence cooperation agreement” Washington has ever done, as Donald Trump tours the Gulf states.
The agreement covers deals with more than a dozen US defence companies in areas including air and missile defense, air force and space advancement, maritime security and communications.
The US president has also said he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria after holding talks with Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
It comes ahead of an expected meeting between Trump and Syria’s Islamist President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
“I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, at the start of a tour of Gulf Arab states.
“It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off,” Trump said, “Good luck Syria, show us something very special.”
Removing US sanctions that cut Syria off from the global financial system will clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, easing foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.
The move came despite deep Israeli suspicion of Sharaa’s administration, with officials still describing Sharaa as a jihadist despite severing ties with al Qaeda in 2016.
Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met at the Saudi Royal Court (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Trump is shown an exhibit in the old district of Diriyah on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)Trump said he would remove all sanctions, saying they had served an important function, but it was time for Syria to move forward.
He said steps were being taken to restore normal relations with Syria, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio would meet his Syrian counterpart this week.
Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani said in a statement it marked a turning point for the Syrian people in their efforts to rebuild.
“We … stand ready to foster a relationship with the United States that is rooted in mutual respect, trust and shared interests,” Shibani said.
The decision is a major boost for Sharaa, who has been struggling to bring the country under the control of the Damascus government.
The challenges were laid bare in March when Assad loyalists attacked government forces, prompting revenge attacks in which Islamist gunmen killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite minority, drawing strong US condemnation.
Sharaa was for years the leader of al Qaeda’s official wing in the Syrian conflict. He first joined al Qaeda in Iraq, where he spent five years in a US prison.
The United States removed a $10m bounty on Sharaa’s head in December.
With agencies
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