Live updates: After a lavish Saudi welcome, Trump to meet Syria's new leader before going to Qatar

President Donald Trump is to conscionable with the caller Syrian leader, a onetime insurgent, earlier wrapping up his sojourn to Saudi Arabia connected Wednesday and heading to Qatar, the 2nd limb of his three-nation Middle East tour this week.

Trump received a lavish invited connected Tuesday successful Riyadh, wherever helium announced helium would determination to assistance sanctions connected Syria to springiness the state “a accidental astatine peace.” He besides focused connected dealmaking with the kingdom, a cardinal Mideast ally, and touched connected shared concerns astir Iran’s atomic program and the war successful Gaza.

Trump said the rapprochement with Syria came astatine the urging of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

“There is simply a caller authorities that volition hopefully succeed,” Trump said of Syria, adding, “I accidental bully luck, Syria. Show america thing special.”

Trump besides urged Iran to instrumentality a “new and a amended path” arsenic helium pushes for a caller atomic woody and said helium wanted to debar struggle with Tehran. Trump and Prince Mohammed, the kingdom's de facto ruler, signed a big of economical and bilateral agreements.

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Syrians cheer Trump's announcement connected sanctions

Syrians cheered Trump's announcement that America volition determination to assistance sanctions connected the beleaguered Middle East nation. People successful the capital, Damascus, whistled and cheered the quality arsenic fireworks lit the nighttime sky.

The state-run SANA quality bureau published video and photographs of Syrians cheering successful Umayyad Square. Others honked their car horns oregon waved the caller Syrian emblem successful celebration.

Trump’s planned gathering with the country’s rebel-turned-leader Ahmad al-Sharaa represents a singular governmental turnaround for Syria, which has been locked successful a bitter warfare since the 2011 Arab Spring. In December, rebels led by al-Sharaa toppled Syrian autocrat Bashar Assad’s government.

Al-Sharaa, who was imprisoned successful Iraq for his relation successful the insurgency pursuing the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, volition beryllium the archetypal Syrian person to conscionable an American president since Hafez Assad met Bill Clinton successful Geneva successful 2000.

▶Read much astir sanctions connected Syria

From a erstwhile insurgent who led Assad’s overthrow to a gathering with Trump

The U.S. erstwhile offered $10 cardinal for accusation astir the whereabouts of the insurgent past known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He had joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling U.S. forces successful Iraq aft the U.S.-led penetration successful 2003 and inactive faces a warrant for his apprehension connected coercion charges successful Iraq.

Syria’s caller president came backmost to his location state aft the struggle began successful 2011, and led al-Qaida’s subdivision that utilized to beryllium known arsenic the Nusra Front.

He aboriginal changed the sanction of his radical and chopped links with al-Qaida earlier they yet succeeded successful overthrowing President Bashar Assad successful December.

Syrian’s interim authorities hails US authorisation decision

Syria’s Foreign Ministry connected Tuesday nighttime called Trump's connection astir the sanctions a pivotal turning constituent for the Syrian radical arsenic they "seek to look from a agelong and achy section of war.”

The connection besides was cautious to picture the sanctions arsenic coming “in effect to the warfare crimes committed by the Assad authorities against the Syrian people,” alternatively than the war-torn nation’s caller interim government.

“The removal of these sanctions offers a captious accidental for Syria to prosecute stability, self-sufficiency and meaningful nationalist reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people,” the connection added.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels apt fired different rocket astatine Israel

The Israeli subject issued a connection connected Wednesday greeting announcing the rocket occurrence from Yemen aft sirens sounded successful the country.

“A rocket launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the Israeli subject said. “Sirens were sounded successful accordance with protocol.”

The Houthis had launched different rocket conscionable aft Trump addressed an concern acme successful Riyadh connected Tuesday. Trump had earlier announced a ceasefire betwixt America and the rebel group.

The Houthis person been attacking Israel implicit the Israel-Hamas warfare successful the Gaza Strip and Israel’s determination to barroom assistance to the beleaguered Palestinian enclave. The Iranian-backed rebels besides are locked successful a stalemated warfare with a Saudi-led conjugation backing the country’s long-exiled government.

The Houthis did not instantly assertion the attack, though it tin instrumentality hours oregon adjacent days for them to admit an assault.

New Zealand tells its travelers to the US to expect much ‘scrutiny’ astatine America's border

The overseas ministry bolstered its question cautions for New Zealanders visiting the United States, the archetypal specified update since Trump took office, officials said Wednesday. The question proposal hadn’t been afloat updated since 2023, the connection said.

Language added to the guidance for U.S.-bound travelers included an alert that visitors “may brushwood scrutiny from U.S. borderline authorities,” including inspection of their question documents, crushed for question and idiosyncratic belongings.

It besides warned travelers to “expect strict enforcement” of introduction conditions and caution of “detention, deportation and prohibition from re-entry” if travelers don’t comply.

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