Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani (L) meeting with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar on January 5, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

Syria’s new Foreign Minister met with his Qatari counterpart and Qatar’s Prime Minister in Doha on Sunday (January 5, 2025), as Syria’s new de facto authorities under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, establish diplomatic ties with regional and global governments.

Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani posted on X that he’s also set to visit Jordan and the United Arabs Emirates to develop strategic partnerships, and support Syria’s security and economic recovery.

Mr. Al-Shibani met with his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh on Thursday (January 2, 2025). And he also welcomed the Foreign Ministers of Germany and France in Damascus on Friday (January 3, 2025).

HTS led a lightning insurgency that ousted President Bashar Assad on December 8 and ended his family’s decades-long rule. From 2011 until Mr. Assad’s downfall, Syria’s uprising and civil war killed an estimated 500,000 people.

Much of the world ended diplomatic relations with Mr. Assad because of his crackdown on protesters, and sanctioned him and his Russian and Iranian associates.

Now, Syria under Islamist rule hopes to reestablish those ties and lift sanctions slapped on HTS and leader Ahmad al-Sharaa to help make Syria’s battered economy viable again. Mr. Assad was backed by Russia, Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. HTS now hopes Syria can strengthen ties with Arab countries in the region.

Qatar supported opposition groups that fought against Mr. Assad and his allies, and was one of a few Arab countries that opposed restoring ties with the ousted Mr. Assad and Syria’s return to the Arab League in 2023.

“We conveyed to Doha our concerns about the challenges related to the economic sanctions imposed on the Syrian people, and we renew our call on the United States to lift those sanctions,” Syrian radio station Sham FM quoted Mr. Al-Shibani as saying.

Around 90% of Syrians live in poverty, while more than half of the population doesn’t know where their next meal will come from, according to the United Nations.

Mr. Al-Sharaa has said he will hold a national dialogue summit that includes different groups across Syria to agree upon a new political road map leading to a new constitution and an election.

He vowed to dissolve HTS during the summit and has said in an interview with Saudi television network Al-Arabiyya that the de facto rulers are all of the same political background during this transitional phase for the sake of efficiency in running the country.

Still, it’s unclear whether Washington will lift sanctions anytime soon. Europe, meanwhile, appears hesitant because of fears over how religious minorities and women will be treated.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of people in Tehran, Iran, on Wednesday (December 11, 2024).
| Photo Credit: West Asia News Agency/Handout via Reuters

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Wednesday (December 11, 2024) that the toppling of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was the result of a plan by the United States and Israel.

One of Syria’s neighbours also had a role, he said. He did not name the country but appeared to be referring to Turkey, which has backed anti-Assad rebels.

Mr. Assad’s overthrow is widely seen as a major blow to the Iran-led “Axis of Resistance” political and military alliance that opposes Israeli and U.S. influence in the Middle East.

“What happened in Syria was mainly planned in the command rooms of America and Israel. We have evidence of this. A neighbouring government of Syria was also involved,” Mr. Khamenei said in a speech reported by Iranian state media.

The neighbour had a “clear role and continues to do so,” he said.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member Turkey, which controls swathes of land in northern Syria after several cross-border incursions against the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, has been a main backer of opposition groups aiming to topple Mr. Assad since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011.

Iran spent billions of dollars propping up Mr. Assad during the war and deployed its Revolutionary Guards to Syria to keep its ally in power.

Hours after Mr. Assad’s fall, Iran said it expected relations with Damascus to continue based on the two countries’ “far-sighted and wise approach” and called for the establishment of an inclusive Government representing all segments of Syrian society.

In his speech, Mr. Khamenei also said the Iran-led alliance would gain in strength across the entire region.

“The more pressure you exert, the stronger the resistance becomes. The more crimes you commit, the more determined it becomes. The more you fight against it, the more it expands,” Mr. Khamenei said.

“Iran is strong and powerful—and will become even stronger,” he said.