WE SET BACK IRAN’S ROLE IN THE MIDEAST BY 40 YEARS, SYRIA’S NEW LEADER SAYS

Sun 22 December 2024:

Iran’s influence in the region has been significantly diminished by its ally President Bashar al-Assad’s fall, Syria’s de facto new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat.

Sharaa, whose radical Sunni Islamist group Hayat al-Tahrir Sham (HTS) swiftly defeated Assad’s forces this month said Syria’s opposition had “set the Iranian project in the region back by 40 years,” signaling a major shift in Syria’s stance toward Iran.

“By removing Iranian militias and closing Syria to Iranian influence, we’ve served the region’s interests—achieving what diplomacy and external pressure could not, with minimal losses.”

Sharaa’s remarks to the Saudi-owned outlet appeared aimed at placating Arab nations and rejected any notion of Syria becoming a threat to its neighbors.

“We are now focused on state-building. Syria will not be a platform to threaten or unsettle any Arab or Gulf country,” he said.“The Syrian revolution ended with the regime’s fall, and we will not allow it to spread elsewhere.”

The Assad dynasty was a key Arab ally of Tehran, which had been backing its fight against HTS and other rebel groups for over a decade.

He stressed that Syria will no longer serve as a base for actions that destabilize neighboring Arab or Gulf countries, indirectly criticizing Tehran’s past involvement. He pointed to how Syria had previously been used as a platform for Iran to exert control over key Arab capitals, fuel conflicts, and destabilize the Gulf region through activities such as the trafficking of drugs like Captagon.

Iran’s Islamic government has been rattled by events in Syria, where it helped keep Assad in power since anti-government protests erupted in 2011. Its exit from Syria followed defeats its other ally, Hezbollah, suffered in Lebanon.

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Criticism of Iran’s Influence

Al-Sharaa criticized Assad’s reliance on Iran, accusing it of undermining Arab unity. He revealed that during a meeting with Jordanian officials, the ousted Syrian government was asked why it continued exporting Captagon to Jordan.

“The response was that it would not stop unless sanctions were lifted,” Al-Sharaa said, describing such policies as damaging and counterproductive.

According to some former Iranian officials, Tehran spent around $50 billion in Syria in the past decade, where it maintained a large military presence.

Rebuilding Relations with Arab Neighbors

Al-Sharaa highlighted Syria’s goal of rebuilding and strengthening relations with Arab nations based on mutual respect and non-interference.

He pointed to the Gulf’s advancements, particularly Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, as a development model Syria aims to emulate. Addressing concerns about Lebanon, he stressed Syria’s commitment to balanced relations without interference in Lebanon’s internal affairs, focusing instead on addressing its own domestic challenges.

Al-Sharaa emphasized the need for inclusivity in shaping Syria’s future, recognizing the diversity of opinions within the country and describing it as a natural and constructive element of society.

He highlighted his commitment to fostering national unity through adherence to the rule of law. Reflecting on the significance of holding the interview at the Presidential Palace, a site previously occupied by Bashar al-Assad, Al-Sharaa noted that it should be a space accessible to the people, symbolizing openness and a connection to the broader community.

The new administration’s approach, Al-Sharaa concluded, is centered on restoring Syria as a trusted member of the Arab world, free from external agendas.