US President Donald Trump surprised his administration officials with an unexpected announcement from Saudi Arabia about his intention to lift all sanctions imposed on Syria. A move that caught even senior officials at the State and Treasury Departments off guard.

According to Reuters, four knowledgeable US officials said the sanctions teams had received no prior notice from the White House, either through official memos or internal directives, about the decision Trump announced during his visit to the Kingdom.

After the announcement, officials were left confused about how the US administration would lift various sanction packages and levels, which ones would be eased, and when the White House planned to start the process.

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