U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday (May 13) he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria at the behest of Saudi Arabia's crown prince, in a huge boost for interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa as he seeks to stabilize a country shattered by war.

“There's a new government that will hopefully succeed in stabilizing the country and keeping peace. That's what we want to see in Syria, they've had their share of travesty war...killing...many years. That's why my administration has already taken the first steps towards restoring normal relations between the United States, and Syria, for the first time in more than a decade,” Trump said. 

"I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria in order to give them a chance at greatness.”

Trump made the surprise announcement during a regional tour that began in Saudi Arabia. The White House said Trump would say hello to Sharaa during his Saudi visit, indicating a meeting between the president and a former al Qaeda commander who spent five years in a U.S. prison in Iraq would take place Wednesday (May 14).

Two sources from the Syrian presidency said Sharaa would travel to Riyadh to meet Trump.

The United States imposed tough sanctions on Syria during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, and had kept them in place since he was toppled from power in December after more than 13 years of war.

Saudi Arabia has been a leading voice calling for the sanctions to be lifted.

Trump said he would remove all sanctions against Syria, saying they had served an important function, but it was now time for Syria to move forward.