By Erin Banco, Humeyra Pamuk and Daphne Psaledakis NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 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.

Click here to subscribe.When President Donald Trump met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the encounter went beyond the “hello” the White House had told reporters to expect.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for Syria as it struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.

WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump, whose family has major business interests in the Gulf countries he is visiting this week, said there was no talk of building a Trump Tower in Syria or golf during his meetings in Saudi Arabia that ended on Wednesday.

You may have picked up on this subtle trend over the past 100-ish days: Democrats love to rag on President DONALD TRUMP ’s foreign policy. Nearly every decision and Truth Social post touching on foreign policy from the president has been met with a barrage of angry rejoinders (or spicy letters to the State Department) from furious Democratic lawmakers.