By Yousef Saba, Gram Slattery, Pesha Magid and Nafisa Eltahir RIYADH (Reuters) -President Donald Trump kicked off his trip to the Gulf on Tuesday with a surprise announcement that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria,

Syria’s new leaders and their allies in the Arab world have argued that the sanctions, meant to punish the Assad regime that was toppled in December, have outlived their purpose.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he plans to lift sanctions on Syria following last year’s fall of the Assad regime, saying the move will “give them a chance at greatness.”