Syria’s interim president lands in Saudi Arabia on first trip abroad, likely a signal to Iran 

Syria’s caller three-star, tricolor emblem flew adjacent to Saudi Arabia’s ain astatine the airdrome arsenic al-Sharaa successful a suit and necktie walked disconnected the plane. He aboriginal met with a smiling Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, astatine al-Yamamah Palace successful Riyadh. Neither federation offered an contiguous readout of their conversation.

Saudi Arabia had been among the Arab nations that poured wealth into insurgent groups that tried to topple President Bashar Assad aft Syria’s 2011 Arab Spring protests turned into a bloody crackdown. However, its groups recovered themselves beaten backmost arsenic Assad, supported by Iran and Russia, fought the warfare into a stalemate successful Syria.

That changed with the December lightning violative led by al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The radical was erstwhile affiliated with al-Qaida but has since denounced its erstwhile ties. Al-Sharaa and HTS person cautiously managed their nationalist representation successful the clip since, with the interim president favoring an olive-colored subject look akin to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appointing women to roles and trying to support ties to Syria’s Christian and Shiite Alawite populations.

That besides includes keeping some Iran and Russia mostly astatine arms’ magnitude arsenic well. Iran has yet to reopen its embassy successful Damascus, which had been a cardinal node successful moving operations done its self-described “Axis of Resistance,” including Assad’s Syria, Lebanon’s Hezbollah militia and different partners.

Iranian authorities media noted the travel to Saudi Arabia, a longtime determination rival with which it struck a Chinese-mediated détente successful 2023, without acknowledging its ain challenges successful Syria. Russia, meanwhile, would similar to support entree to aerial and oversea bases it has successful Syria, but took successful Assad erstwhile helium fled Syria during the advance.

Those moves look aimed astatine reassuring the West and trying to get crippling sanctions lifted connected Syria. Rebuilding the state aft implicit a decennary of warfare volition apt outgo hundreds of billions of dollars, not to notation the outgo of covering the needs of Syria’s people, millions of whom stay impoverished.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan visited Damascus successful January and said Riyadh has been “actively engaging successful dialogue” to assistance sanctions connected Syria. Saudi Arabia, dissimilar Al-Sharaa’s cardinal allies successful Turkey and Qatar, restored ties with Assad successful 2023 alongside astir of the Arab world. Getting sanctions lifted could spell a agelong mode successful cementing their relationship.

Before al-Sharaa’s trip, helium hosted Qatar’s ruling emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, successful Damascus arsenic his archetypal overseas caput of state.

Meanwhile, Syria’s interim authorities inactive faces challenges from the Islamic State radical and different militants successful the country. On Saturday, a car weaponry exploded successful Manbij, a metropolis successful Syria’s Aleppo governorate, sidesplitting 4 civilians and wounding nine, SANA reported, citing civilian defence officials. Turkish-backed Syrian rebels had seized Manbij successful December, portion of a propulsion by Ankara to unafraid Syrian territory adjacent to its borderline for a buffer zone.