The president's decision on sanctions does not mean he's chosen to side with self-described "restraint" advocates over foreign policy hawks in Washington.

As President Donald Trump’s Middle East sojourn drew to a close, a much-vaunted “grand bargain” bringing peace to a restive region was nowhere in sight.

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first such encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years. The meeting, on the sidelines of Trump's get-together with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council,

President Trump's announcement that US sanctions on Syria would be lifted was met with elation by Syrians. Syria has a long way to go to recover from years of civil war and brutal dictatorship. But experts say the country needs to see sanctions lifted just to have a chance at beginning the long process of rebuilding.

The removal of US sanctions is set to clear the way for greater engagement by humanitarian organisations working in Syria, and ease foreign investment and trade as the country rebuilds.