President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to lift sanctions on Syria following last year’s fall of the Assad regime, saying the move will “give them a chance at greatness.”

President Donald Trump is set to meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, in a face-to-face with the onetime insurgent leader who spent years imprisoned by U.S. forces after being captured in Iraq.

President Trump said he will move to normalize relations and lift sanctions on Syria's new government to give the country "a chance at peace."

Removing some sanctions on Syria could require congressional action, and one expert warned that rescinding all the measures could decrease the US’ leverage with the new government in Damascus.

President Trump, on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, said he made the decision after speaking to the Saudi crown prince. The president is trying to drum up Saudi investment in the U.S.

RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he would remove all sanctions against Syria, saying they had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward. "I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness," Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh.

President Donald Trump will meet with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, the onetime insurgent who last year led the overthrow of former leader Bashar Assad

President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.