President Donald Trump met with interim Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia, the first encounter between the two nations’ leaders in 25 years and one that could mark a turning point for the region as Syria struggles to emerge from decades of international isolation.
The meeting marks a major turn of events for a Syria still adjusting to life after the over 50-year, iron-gripped rule of the Assad family, and for its new leader, who once had a $10 million U.S. bounty for his arrest.
What to know:
- Trump praises Qatar’s ruling emir as an ‘outstanding man’: Trump said Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani reminded him of the Saudi crown prince. He called them both “tall, handsome guys that happen to be very smart” — the latest display of warm relations between the president and his Gulf Arab hosts.
- Iran is a major Trump talking point: Trump told Gulf leaders on Wednesday he urgently wants “to make a deal” with Iran to wind down its nuclear program but Tehran must end its support of proxy groups throughout the region as part of any potential agreement.
- Trump doubles down on plane gift: In an interview with Fox News aboard Air Force One, Trump defended his efforts to accept a donated replacement plane from Qatar, which is the second stop on his Middle East trip. Democrats say accepting the $400 million jet is a national security threat….
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Super Micro Computer surged 12.7% Wednesday after signing a partnership agreement with Saudi Arabian data center company DataVolt….
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Press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s statement says Trump urged al-Sharaa to:
- diplomatically recognize Israel
- “tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria”
- help the U.S. stop any resurgence of the Islamic State group
- assume responsibility for over a dozen detention centers holding some 9,000 suspected Islamic State members
These prisons are run by U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led forces who agreed last month that all border crossings with Iraq and Turkey, airports and oil fields in the Northeast would be brought under the central government’s control by the end of the year.
Trump’s desire for Syria to take over the prisons also signals the potential of a full American military withdrawal from Syria….
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It’s not just the “gesture” of a $400 million luxury plane that President Donald Trump says he’s smart to accept from Qatar. It’s not even that the Trump family has fast-growing business ties in the Middle East that offer the potential of vast profits.
It’s the combination of these things and more — deals between a family whose patriarch oversees the U.S. government and a region whose leaders are fond of currying favor through money and lavish gifts — that’s raising concerns about their impact on U.S. policy.
Before Trump began his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, his sons Eric and Donald Jr. traveled the Middle East extensively in recent weeks, drumming up business for The Trump Organization. Eric Trump announced plans for an 80-story Trump Tower Dubai in the UAE’s largest city.
Note…..
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has to be chewing his nails this week….
image….President Donald Trump is greeted by Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as he arrives on Air Force One at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
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