Interim Syrian Foreign Minister: Tehran Must Fundamentally Change Its Policy Towards Damascus

The interim Syrian Foreign Minister states that Iran's presence and influence in Syria has been provocative for the people of this country and has been crucial for the survival of Bashar al-Assad's regime, and Tehran needs to make fundamental changes in its policy to establish relations between the two countries. Assad Hassan al-Shibani, in an interview with Al Jazeera aired on Wednesday, January 12, said Iran must refrain from interfering in our internal affairs. He added that Iran is a neighboring country (in the region) and that while we do not currently seek to eliminate relations with Iran, we do want it to reconsider its position and calculations regarding Syria and its people. Mr. Shibani stated that if we receive 'positive messages' from Iran in accordance with the desired principles in the future and feel positively about it from our people that Iran is no longer intervening or exerting influence in our internal affairs, we will also adopt a reciprocal approach and act accordingly. The interim Syrian Foreign Minister had previously told Iran to cease sowing seeds of chaos in Syria. Ahmad al-Shar'a, the commander of 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham,' which led to the collapse and flight of Bashar al-Assad from Syria on December 9, stated on January 1 to Al Arabiya that Syria cannot 'cut ties with a major country in the region like Iran,' but the relationship must be 'based on diplomatic principles, respect for the sovereignty of both countries, and non-interference in internal affairs.' The leader of 'Tahrir al-Sham' called for a 'reconsideration' of Iran's regional interventions. Ahmad al-Shar'a added that 'Iran's actions in Syria have left many wounds; infrastructure, schools, hospitals, and (even) bakeries were targeted in the civil war, and these played a role in the displacement of the Syrian people.' However, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran on January 1, in his fourth speech after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime, once again claimed that the newly established Syrian government would collapse. Ali Khamenei, in his remarks, alluded to the combat name of Ahmad al-Shar'a, which was 'Abu Muhammad al-Jolani,' saying: 'Do not look at this worthless Jolani and those who are showing off today; one day they will be trampled underfoot by the believers.' The statements of the leader of the Islamic Republic apparently indicate that he sees the new Syrian government as a new enemy for Iran in the region. Apart from Turkey, Saudi Arabia has also welcomed the new Syrian government and reopened its embassy in Damascus after 13 years. The interim Syrian Foreign Minister, who traveled to Saudi Arabia for his first foreign trip, stated on Thursday, January 13, that he had begun discussions with his Saudi counterpart and other senior officials in Riyadh, including with the aim of receiving financial assistance. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, three wealthy countries in the region along with Turkey, have promised the new Syrian government support for the reconstruction of the country's economy, and Turkey has sent various technical and engineering groups to Syria after two visits by its foreign minister to Damascus in less than two weeks. The Arab League warned Iran not to exacerbate the conflict among the Syrian people. Mr. Shibani stated that the people of Syria are waiting for rights that the new government has increased, but we entered 'the treasury of the central bank when it was empty, and the looters of the Assad regime left nothing behind.' However, according to him, there is also a significant interest among the international community to help the prosperity and improvement of Syria's economic indicators. The interim Syrian Foreign Minister stated in an interview with Al Jazeera that in the three weeks since Syria has achieved 'freedom,' Arab countries, regional governments, and European and Western countries have shown great interest in diplomatic engagement with the new rulers and are eager to end Syria's isolation because those sanctions were against Bashar al-Assad's tyranny in Syria. Assad Hassan Shibani added that in the new era, Syria will be a center of peace, stability, and a key player in the Arab region and the entire international community, which the people of Syria are thirsty for, and this country must be rebuilt and provide better economic conditions for the lives of its people while simultaneously creating a better political and psychological situation. He confirmed Ahmad al-Shar'a's remarks about the need for a four-year transitional period for Syria to hold elections so that during this period, it can 'revive the necessary legal institutions for a stable political system that represents all people and groups.' The Israeli army confirmed that its special forces attacked an underground missile production site in Syria in September. According to the Israeli army, this site, located near Masyaf in Hama province and on the Mediterranean coast, was designed to produce hundreds of precision missiles for use by Hezbollah against Israel. According to an Israeli army spokesperson, this facility, which had been under Israeli intelligence oversight since 2017, was ready to produce strategic missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers. He described this facility as 'the flagship of Iran's efforts to produce weapons in the region' and stated that this site was considered an 'immediate threat' to Israel. This attack, which occurred on September 8, has been described as one of the most complex operations by the Israeli army in recent years. In this nighttime operation, dozens of planes and about 100 soldiers were transferred to the area by helicopter, and in addition to identifying weapons, they seized documents present at the facility. At the end of the operation, the forces destroyed missile production equipment and machinery. At the time of the attack, Syrian state media reported at least 16 deaths in the Israeli airstrikes. Israel has repeatedly accused Bashar al-Assad's government of cooperating with Hezbollah to transfer weapons from Iran and has stated that it is determined to stop this arms flow.