Syria’s Foreign Minister said Wednesday that the country's new government is seeking reassurances from Russia and Iran to rebuild trust after years of conflict and their alignment with ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, Asaad Hassan al-Shibani emphasized the need for a clear policy shift: “There are positive messages, but we want these positive messages to turn into a clear policy that makes the Syrian people feel reassured.”
The Syrian conflict, which erupted in 2011, saw Iran and Russia back Assad militarily, enabling him to hold power until a rebel offensive forced his exile to Moscow late last year.
The transitional government that replaced him faces the challenge of navigating relations with former allies. “There are wounds among the Syrian people and there is pain that the Syrian people have suffered at the hands of these two countries,” Shibani added.
Russia aims to maintain its naval and air bases in Syria, with Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov meeting Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus last month.
Meanwhile, Iran, which once supported Assad and had a formidable military presence the country, has begun communicating directly with Syria’s new leadership.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters in December that Tehran had opened a direct line of communication with Syria's new leadership.
However, Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s December call for Syrian youth to resist their new rulers has raised tensions. Shibani warned, “Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the country’s sovereignty and security.”
Syria’s war devastated the nation, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives. Iran withdrew in December after the rebel victory, marking a significant setback for Tehran’s regional influence.
