U.S. Sanctions Eased to Enable Emirati Entry On May 14, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump described his meeting with Syrian President Ahmad Al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia as "great," referring to him as a "real leader." This high-level diplomatic engagement resulted in the partial easing of U.S. sanctions on Syria , with a focus on revitalizing infrastructure, port operations, and trade. Key measures included the issuance of General License No. 24 (GL 24) , authorizing limited eng