Trump expected to meet Syrian leader after announcing he will lift sanctions2 hours ago Share Save Ottilie Mitchell BBC News Share SaveWatch: Celebrations on the streets of Syria as Trump says he will lift US sanctionsUS President Donald Trump has said he will lift sanctions on Syria, ahead of an expected meeting with its leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. Trump has agreed to "say hello" to Syria's interim president on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia as part of his tour of the Middle East, the White House said. The announcement of the lifting of sanctions was met with elation in the Syrian capital of Damascus, where cheering, dancing and celebratory gunfire were heard. The Syrian leader has promised to protect ethnic minorities since his Sunni Islamist group led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad's regime in December after 13 years of devastating civil war. There have also been deadly clashes between Islamist armed factions, security forces and fighters from the Druze religious minority.