In Brief: A New Syrian Government’s Regional Relationships

Syria’s new leaders are in desperate need of partners who can provide fiscal, economic, and diplomatic support. Since overthrowing the Assad regime, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s leader, Ahmed al Sharaa, has actively reached out to multiple governments. Recently, new Foreign Minister Asaad al Shaibani visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Turkey. Qatar and Turkey have reopened embassies in Damascus. Yet, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Islamist background, among other concerns, poses a challenge to its relations with its neighbors and Gulf Arab states, as well as European governments and the United States. We asked five experts to examine some