President Trump met on Wednesday with the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Shara, a day after announcing that the United States would lift sanctions on the country in a major shift in U.S. policy. It was the first time in 25 years that the leaders of the two countries had met, and another sign that decades of diplomatic isolation for Syria were ending.
But as Mr. Trump arrived in Qatar on the second stop of a glitzy Middle East tour that has emphasized business deals and highlighted his political and commercial interests in the wealthy Gulf States, bloodshed was intensifying a short distance away in Gaza, a part of the region he has largely sidestepped on this trip.
Israeli airstrikes overnight killed dozens of Palestinians in northern Gaza, Palestinian health officials said Wednesday, and the escalating violence has defied the Trump administration’s efforts to get Israel and Hamas to agree to a new cease-fire.
Speaking to reporters on the plane from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, Mr. Trump said that his tour, which also includes a stop in the United Arab Emirates, does not sideline Israel. “This is good for Israel, having a relationship like I have with these countries; Middle Eastern countries, essentially all of them,” he said.
Earlier Wednesday in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, Mr. Trump spoke for about half an hour with Mr. al-Shara, whom he later called “great” and a “tough guy.” The meeting was a stunning turnaround for Mr. al-Shara, who once led a branch of Al Qaeda before he broke ties with the jihadist group and sought to moderate his image. The United States designated Mr. al-Shara’s militant group as a terrorist organization, and it dropped its offer of a reward of up to $10 million for information on him just five months ago.
Since Mr. al-Shara’s rebel alliance ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December, his administration has been trying to remove lingering international sanctions on Syria to break the economic stranglehold on a country that is central to the stability of the Middle East. Mr. Trump’s announcement that the United States would lift sanctions against Syria drew a standing ovation on Tuesday night from dignitaries in Riyadh, including representatives of Middle Eastern states who had called for such a move.
Here’s what else to know:
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U.S. and Syria: Mr. Trump met Mr. al-Shara at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, who also took part in the meeting. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who backed the anti-Assad insurgency, joined by phone. Mr. Trump told the Syrian leader that he “has a tremendous opportunity to do something historic in his country,” according to a White House summary of the meeting. Mr. Trump also urged the Syrian leader to take steps to normalize relations with Israel and tell “all foreign terrorists to leave Syria,” according to the summary.
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World Cup connection: Gianni Infantino, the president of soccer’s governing body, FIFA, and a Trump supporter, is joining the president on his Mideast tour. On Wednesday he plans to preside over a ceremony at which the emir of Qatar, the last World Cup host nation, will hand hosting duties for the quadrennial tournament to Mr. Trump. The United States is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup with Canada and Mexico, but the leaders of those countries are not expected to be part of the ceremony.
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Friendly neighborhood: Mr. Trump built personal relationships with Gulf leaders during his first term, offering firm support without criticizing their human rights records. He has a special rapport with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the president of the U.A.E., and with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia.
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Opulent reception: Mr. Trump attended events in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that were heavy on opulence and pomp. The president appeared happy and impressed.
Euan Ward contributed reporting.
