Raisi's visit could, therefore, be interpreted as a message from Tehran that it wants some kind of a return on its investment.īarbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and founder and former director of the Future of Iran Initiative at the Atlantic Council, believes the visit is more a “victory lap” than a trip aimed at competing with Gulf states for reconstruction projects. ![]() Unlike most Arab states, Iran stood by Assad throughout the lengthy civil war, providing thousands of fighters and billions of dollars to prop up his regime. It's against this backdrop that Raisi made his landmark trip to Damascus. Turkey also wants to mend fences with its southern neighbour.Īside from being brought in from the cold, Assad may hope he can parlay changing attitudes toward his regime into much-needed investment, especially from the wealthy Gulf states, and assistance with reconstruction. The subsequent China-brokered peace deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia saw Riyadh move toward a rapprochement with Damascus, and Arab states on Sunday agreed to reinstate Syria’s membership in the Arab League after being suspended over 10 years ago. "Iran has spent billions on keeping Assad's regime afloat, and I imagine the rulers of Tehran feel that it's time to secure their gains"Īssad had been widely shunned over his brutal crackdown against the popular uprising that started in 2011 against his regime and his violent conduct in the ensuing civil war, which has lasted over a decade and killed an estimated 500,000 people. The devastating 6 February earthquake that devastated large parts of Syria and Turkey saw several regional countries extend a helping hand to Damascus and begin restoring long-suspended diplomatic relations. The Iranian president dubbed his trip a "turning point" in Iran-Syria relations, and one of his deputies hailed it as a sign of Tehran's "strategic victory in the region".īut why did Iran choose the present moment to send Raisi to Damascus, and what was the main aim and message of his visit? ![]() He met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, discussed strengthening bilateral relations, and signed 15 cooperation documents on economic ties. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi visited Syria last week, the first such visit by an Iranian president since 2010.
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