President Donald Trump on Tuesday lifted all United States sanctions on Syria. He is considering similar relief for Iran if it accepts limits on its nuclear program, pitching himself as a broker of “commerce,

Day one of the trip saw the two sides announce a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal, as well as a raft of other investments that Saudi Arabia's crown prince said could eventually be worth $1tn. Trump also made Saudi Arabia the first foreign stop during his first term, in 2017. The rest of his gulf tour will include stops in Qatar and the UAE.

Syria’s new leaders and their allies in the Arab world have argued that the sanctions, meant to punish the Assad regime that was toppled in December, have outlived their purpose.