Still, dismantling the punishing sanctions regime will take some time. Repealing the most restrictive will take an act of Congress. And as Lindsey Graham, a Republican senator, pointed out, Congress will want to see evidence that Syria is no longer a state sponsor of terrorism.

President Trump met with Syria's interim President on Wednesday, a day after lifting sanctions and marking a major policy shift towards peace and rebuilding relations.

Gulf states are keen to invest in Syria, which has important mineral and oil reserves, but had been prevented from doing so by U.S. sanctions. President Trump has now pledged to lift the restrictions.

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

Five months after its liberation from the police state of Bashar al-Assad, Syria sometimes looks like a country in civil war. Sectarian clashes have turned into street battles with rockets and mortars.

A short statement released by the office of President Ahmad al-Sharaa did not give a reason why he will not attend the summit but an invitation by the Iraqi government last month trigged sharp political divisions in Iraq. The summit is scheduled to be held in Baghdad on Saturday.

In a dramatic policy shift, US President Donald Trump announced the lifting of long-standing sanctions on Syria during a visit to Saudi Arabia. This move aims to revitalize Syria's economy and reshape Middle East dynamics,