ISTANBUL

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa called for lifting sanctions on his country, "as there is no justification for them after the fall of the (Assad) regime."

In an interview aired Monday, Sharaa said anyone who has recently visited the Syrian capital Damascus would agree that sanctions should be lifted, which he said were imposed in response to the regime's "systematic crimes."

Pointing to the security problems his country faces, Sharaa said one of the solutions lies in economic development.

"Without economic growth, there can be no stability. And without stability, we risk creating an environment that fosters chaos and insecurity. All of these issues are interconnected and must be addressed together," he added.

Sharaa also expressed optimism about US President Donald Trump's Middle East policy, saying he was interested in regional peace and could play a major role in fostering global stability, particularly if he ends the Russia-Ukraine war.

Addressing Trump's proposed plan to "take over" the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians to other countries in the region, Sharaa firmly rejected the idea, asserting that no power could drive a people from its lands. 

"Many countries have tried to do it and they have all failed, especially during the recent war in Gaza," the Syrian leader said.

He highlighted that all attempts to displace the Palestinians in over 80 years have failed. "It would be neither wise nor morally or politically right for Trump to lead an effort to force Palestinians out of their land, in my view," he said.

Israel has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians in Gaza since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, and reduced the enclave to a rubble, rendering it uninhabitable. A three-phase cease-fire is currently in place.

Trump's proposal on post-war Gaza has been widely condemned by the Arab world and other countries, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing.