7 mins ago – 1.28AMTrump to remove Syria from terrorism sanctions listReutersDonald Trump said the US would remove Syria from the terrorism sanctions list as he met with the country’s president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, on the sidelines of the NATO summit.“I think I will. Why wouldn’t I? He’s done a great job,” Trump said Wednesday. “Yeah, I will.”US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa at the White House. AP/Syrian Presidency press officeTrump has offered praise for the Syrian leader, a former jihadist who once had a $US10 million US bounty on his head, welcoming him to the White House last year and providing relief for his country from decades-long economic sanctions. While Trump has lifted some restrictions on Syria, the country remains on the US State Department’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism.”The US president’s moves have been part of a broader strategic pivot toward engaging the government in Damascus and helping al-Sharaa court international support to rebuild a nation shattered by a brutal civil war. The US has aligned with Turkey, the host of the NATO summit, to help reunify the country.More broadly, Syria is a country where both the US and Iran have been jockeying for influence, complicating efforts by Washington to secure a broader peace with Tehran.Trump’s efforts to help bolster al-Sharaa have drawn alarm from Israel, which has seen Damascus as a longtime adversary.Israel has carried out military strikes against Syrian targets and tensions between the two countries rose late last year.Asked if he still wanted Syria to help with Hezbollah in Lebanon, Trump said “it could help.”