On Friday, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince hugged Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during an Arab summit, a strategic move opposed by the U.S.
Assad and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who wants support for Kyiv’s fight against Russian invaders, will attend the conference.
Gulf oil producers have resisted Western demands to isolate Russia, an OPEC+ member, in the Ukraine war.
Syria’s reinstatement to the Arab League signals the end of Assad’s decade-long isolation.
After 12 years, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shook Assad’s hand in Jeddah. Before the meeting, the crown prince hugged Assad before their formal photo.
Previously largely influenced by the U.S., Saudi Arabia has led Arab diplomacy in the past year, re-establishing ties with Iran, inviting Syria back, and resolving the Sudan crisis.
“Americans are dismayed. “We’re trying to solve our problems as much as we can with the tools we have,” said a Gulf source close to official circles.
Assad’s close links to Iran unnerve Arab states.
“Do we want Syria to be less Arab and more Iranian, or… to come back to the Arab fold?” a Gulf analyst questioned Reuters.
Arab powers urge Assad to curb Syria’s drug trade after welcoming him back.
Arab governments worry about the captagon trade, the return of millions of Syrian refugees, and Iran’s presence in the Arab country.
Assad would gain from Gulf investment in his war-torn country, which has lost infrastructure, cities, and manufacturing.
After China and Riyadh resumed diplomatic ties with Iran in March, Assad defeated Sunni insurgents and retook some important cities.
However, Turkish-backed rebels, extremist Islamists, and a U.S.-backed Kurdish force control much of Syria.
Arab and Western nations struggle to resolve the 12-year-old war politically.
Since 2011, UNHCR estimates 14 million Syrians have fled their homes. In a country with 90% poverty, 6.8 million Syrians are internally displaced.
350,000+ died. Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt host 5.5 million Syrian refugees.
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