Trump presses Sharaa on Israel ties after lifting curbs

US President Donald Trump landed in Doha Wednesday after visiting Riyadh, where he urged Syria's president to normalise with Israel after offering a major boost to the war-ravaged country by vowing to lift sanctions.

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Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, an erstwhile guerrilla.

The interim Syrian president and Trump, wearing matching suits, shook hands as they met jointly in Riyadh with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and, by video link, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan-the key supporter of the new government in Damascus.

While aboard Air Force One en route to Qatar, Trump poured praise on Sharaa, saying the meeting went "great" and describing the leader as a "young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter."

Turkey and Saudi Arabia had both advocated reconciliation with Syria, but the move is the latest to put Trump at odds with Israel, which has expressed deep scepticism of Sharaa and ramped up its military strikes against Syria to degrade its longtime adversary's military capabilities.

When asked if Sharaa said he'd join the Abraham Accords and normalise relations with Israel, Trump said: "I told him, I hope you're going to join once you're straightened out and he said yes. But they have a lot of work to do.'