"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump announced in Riyadh on Tuesday. Syria has been designated a state sponsor of terrorism by the U.

U.S. President Donald Trump opened his four-day Middle East trip on Tuesday by paying a visit to Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, for talks on U.S. efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program,

Saudi Arabia is of key diplomatic importance to the Trump White House, especially amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.