The president's decision on sanctions does not mean he's chosen to side with self-described "restraint" advocates over foreign policy hawks in Washington.

Despite his Islamist background, al-Sharaa has shown more pragmatic than ideological since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad.

WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump, whose family has major business interests in the Gulf countries he is visiting this week, said there was no talk of building a Trump Tower in Syria or golf during his meetings in Saudi Arabia that ended on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump arrived in Qatar on Wednesday -- the second day of his Middle East trip -- as fallout continues over the president's insistence on accepting a luxury plane from the country.His Qatar visit follows his meeting with interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia.