Syria has witnessed misery and devastation during the past decade. The brutal suppression of civil discontent by the Bashar al-Assad regime led to the exodus of the Syrians to save their lives and escape persecution. In the wake of the Arab Spring, the growing sufferings of civilians forced them to resettle in neighboring countries, and a significant number settled in Europe as immigrants. However, things began to change, and an optimistic gesture reverberated throughout the country and regions where Syrians were living as refugees, when Ahmed-al-Sha’ra, former ISIS commander, led Hayat-Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS) in their campaign against the repressive Bashar regime based in Damascus.
There was also a psychological war going on, which HTS ultimately won, as people were fed up with Bashar’s government. People welcomed the change, and the momentum carried on until the fall of Damascus.
These developments occurred late last year, and the regime eventually fell on December 8, 2024. It was as much surprising as it was astonishing for the HTS, led by Ahmed, to capture Aleppo, the second largest Syrian city, and move swiftly from the northwest of the country in Idlib down to the south of the country along the main highway connecting major cities. The world expressed mixed emotions as they were celebrating the overthrow of Bashar’s regime, but were stunned by how it was achieved. The United States, Turkiye, Israel, and Ukraine trained and provided HTS with the necessary training and equipment. It was only a matter of days after Aleppo was captured. There was also a psychological war going on, which HTS ultimately won, as people were fed up with Bashar’s government. People welcomed the change, and the momentum carried on until the fall of Damascus.
Consequently, Bashar flew to Moscow with his family, and the authority came into the hands of HTS and its affiliates. That was the most crucial moment in the history of regions in decades. Firstly, the Ba’athist party, which took power in 1963, was no longer in sight. Secondly, the Assad family, which belonged to the minority Alawite sect of Shia Islam, was removed from the scene which controlled the country since 1971. Lastly and most importantly, the Strategic depth of Iran and its regional influence in the region have been hampered significantly in two ways. Syria served as the recruiting ground for Iranian proxies and also as a supply line to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Now then, the Iranian loyalists are removed from the government, the power vacuum hence created needs to be filled, and this time, the power would be in the hands of those in Syria who do not correspond to the worldview of Iran.
Many media outlets were wary of the status of minorities and non-Muslims in Syria post-Assad era.
Notwithstanding, the Western media and think tanks viewed the change in regime in Syria with considerable caution, as the man leading the charge was the former Islamist commander. Many media outlets were wary of the status of minorities and non-Muslims in Syria post-Assad era. Now that more than five months have passed, the world has witnessed that the man chosen by the West and Turkiye for the revolution in Syria is a moderate man with a unique world view and firm belief in co-existence. If we look at how the past five months have been for Syria, we can easily discern the pattern of relative de-radicalization in Syria, and also the isolation of Syria is gradually fading away. Ahmed-al-Sha’ra was announced the interim President of Syria following the regime change, and he made some crucial decisions which define his statecraft.
The interim-President declared that his country is open to talks with all stakeholders in the region and will re-negotiate Syria’s policies towards its neighbors, implicitly referring to Iran and its proxies in Iraq and Lebanon. He announced the disbanding of all the jihadist and non-jihadist organizations that came together to bring about the revolution. He proposed that all the members with arms should join the Syrian army to protect its frontiers or lay down their arms. He also negotiated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are entirely Kurdish and control the north-eastern part of Syria. He met with minorities like Druze and Christians, promising them equal rights and opportunities in the democratic Syria. Another feature of al-Sha’ra’s presidency is to bring back technocrats and statesmen to serve in his government. Ahmed has also travelled to France, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries to convey a message that Syria is willing to make a comeback in the community of nations and is ready to discuss all the matters at hand. He has also given exclusive interviews to Western and Arab media, which have reflected his approach to steer his country away from chaos and instability.
Trump remarked, “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a chance at greatness.”
Furthermore, the recent visit of President Donald Trump to the KSA, UAE, and Qatar has brought a sought-after shift in the foreign policy of the United States. Ahmed-al-Sha’ra met with Saudi crown prince Muhammad-bin-Salman (MBS) in a high-stakes meeting, which ultimately led to an understanding between the two. Eventually, during President Trump’s visit to KSA, MBS succeeded in convincing Trump to lift the economic sanctions from Syria. Trump remarked, “I will be ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a chance at greatness,” Trump told an investment forum in Riyadh, at the start of a tour of Gulf Arab states. “It’s their time to shine. We’re taking them all off,” Trump said, “Good luck, Syria, show us something very special.”
This is a historic move by the Trump Administration for regional integration. It’s all on Ahmed-al-Sha’ra (Interim Syrian President) to capitalize on this great opportunity to make his people and country proud.
This is a historic move by the Trump Administration for regional integration. It’s all on Ahmed-al-Sha’ra (Interim Syrian President) to capitalize on this great opportunity to make his people and country proud. The details of this will come in the following days; importantly, the path has been made clear for Syria to showcase its national capacities and resolve to emerge from the chaotic state of affairs. That being said, the ongoing power struggle in Syria, the differences among various ethnicities and groups, and the role of outside powers should not be overlooked. Syria is an oil-rich country with great potential to grow both economically and politically due to its geographic location.
Russia has shown interest in operating its naval base (Tartus) in Syria even after the removal of its long-standing ally.
Russia has shown interest in operating its naval base (Tartus) in Syria even after the removal of its long-standing ally. It tells a lot about Syria’s geo-strategic significance and the country’s prospective role in the geopolitics of the wider region. Syria has demonstrated so far that it has been a cradle for civilizations for millennia, and it can bounce back once again, and it surely can overcome the political polarization and devastation of the previous decades with dignity and grace!
