Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, the first encounter in 25 years, a turning point in Syria that Syria has been struggling for decades.

The meeting, under the watchful eyes of Trump and the leaders of the GCC, marked the massive events of life that had adapted to life after more than 50 years of the Assad family, hardcore kidnapped rule and the Syrian rule of its new leader, which once had a $10 million American bounty.

After the meeting, Trump praised Al-Sharaa for praising reporters, who was "young, attractive. Strong guy. Past. Past. Past. Past. Past. Fighter."

Under Nom de Guerre Abu Mohammed Al-Golani, Al-Sharaa had links with Al Qaeda and joined the rebels in fighting the U.S. forces in Iraq before participating in the Syrian war. He even was imprisoned there by the U.S. military for several years.

"He really put them together," Trump said. "He was a real leader. He led an allegation and he was amazing."

Trump announced the day before he started his Three Kingdoms Middle East Tour in Riyadh, and he will also raise the sanctions we imposed on Syria under the ousted authoritarian critical Bashar Assad.

People across Syria cheered on the streets and celebrated fireworks on Tuesday night, hoping that their country (locked to credit cards and global finances) might rejoin the world's economy when investment is most needed.

The meeting even re-emphasized the growing dissatisfaction between the White House and the Israeli government after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had earlier asked Trump not to lift sanctions on Syria, as it broke out in Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

Trump told the GCC after meeting with Al-Sharaa that he was imposing sanctions on Syria to give the country a "new starting point."

"It gives them a great opportunity. The sanctions are really cruel and very powerful," Trump said.

Trump said al-Sharaa has agreed to join the Abraham agreement and ultimately acknowledged Israel, but Syria has not confirmed that yet. "I think they have to calm themselves down. I told him, 'I hope you'll join when you figure it out,'" he said, "Yes." But they have a lot of work to do. ”

Trump said on Tuesday that he will meet Al-Sharaa, who flew to the Saudi capital to face-to-face.

Even before the devastating civil war that began in 2011, Syria struggled under strict control of the socialist economy and imposed sanctions in the United States as a terror state sponsor since 1979.

al-Sharaa is the first Syrian leader to meet with the U.S. president since Hafez Assad met with Bill Clinton in Geneva in 2000. Trump-Al-Sharaa's meeting was held behind closed doors, and the White House later said it had run for more than 30 minutes.

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan joined the meeting with Trump, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and al-sharaa by phone. Türkiye was a major supporter of Al-Sharaa and his rebel faction.

"I really strongly think that this will give them a chance," Trump said of Syria. "It's not easy anyway, so it's a big chance. I'm honored to do that."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump urged Al-Sharaa to diplomatically acknowledge Israel “tell all foreign terrorists to leave Syria” and help the United States stop any resurrection of the Islamic State group.

Levitt added that Republican Trump also demanded that the Syrian government "be responsible" for more than a dozen detention centers that own about 9,000 suspicious members of the Islamic State Group. The prison is under the responsibility of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led force that led the military campaign against extremists and controlled the last piece of land they once held in March 2019.

As part of a deal reached between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led forces reached in March, all transits with Iraq and Turkey, airports and oil fields in the northeast will be under the control of the central government by the end of the year.

Trump's desire for Syria to take over prisons also demonstrates the potential of the United States' full withdrawal from Syria.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Trump and al-Sharaa discussed Syria-U.S. partnerships that are fighting terrorist groups and armed groups, such as standing within a stable range.

Al-Sharaa was appointed interim president of Syria in January, a month after a stunning attack on the stunning insurgent group of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham or HTS in Al-Sharaa, attacking Damascus and ending the 54-year rule of the Assad family.

Many Gulf Arab leaders gathered behind the new government in Damascus and hoped Trump would follow, believing it was a fortress against Iran's return to influence in Syria, where it helped the Assad administration during the mid-decade war.

But our ally Israel has long been deeply suspicious of al-Sharaa extremists and warned against quick recognition of the new government. Israeli officials said the request was spoken while discussing the subject on anonymous condition during Netanyahu's visit to Washington last month.

Israel is concerned that a cross-border attack similar to Hamas' October 7, 2023, could come from Syria. Israel also fears that Al-Sharaa and his Islamist past may pose a threat to its northern border.

Syrians cheered Trump's announcement and the United States will take action to lift sanctions on the troubled Middle East.

The country-owned SANA news agency has released videos and photos of Syrians cheering in Umayyad Square, the largest video and photos of the country's capital Damascus. Others honked their trumpets or waved the new Syrian flag during the celebrations.

People whistle and cheer as fireworks illuminate the night sky.

A statement from the Syrian Foreign Ministry called the statement “a key turning point for the Syrian people as we seek to stand out from the long and painful chapters of war.”

"The lifting of these sanctions provides Syria with an important opportunity for stable, self-sufficiency and meaningful national reconstruction," the statement added.

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Madhani reported on Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press photographer Alex Brandon and writer Suzan Fraser contributed to the report in Ankara, Turkey; Tel Aviv, Israel and Tel Aviv, Bassem Mroue, and Beirut.