Day one of the trip saw the two sides announce a $142bn (£107bn) arms deal, as well as a raft of other investments that Saudi Arabia's crown prince said could eventually be worth $1tn. Trump also made Saudi Arabia the first foreign stop during his first term, in 2017. The rest of his gulf tour will include stops in Qatar and the UAE.

President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

The president announced the planned change in U.S. policy during a speech at a Saudi investment forum at the start of the first major international trip of his second term. His meeting with Syria’s new leader will take place Wednesday.

The lingering sanctions have widely been seen as a major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery and post-war reconstruction. Donald Trump said he was acting on a request to scrap the Syria sanctions by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on more than 20 companies in a network that it said has long sent Iranian oil to China, days after negotiators from Iran and the United States concluded a fourth round of nuclear talks.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Recent U.S. sanctions on Iran are not constructive when it comes to negotiations, Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday, after the two countries held a fourth round of nuclear talks on Sunday in Oman.