Assad Welcomed Back After Years of Isolation as Saudi Arabia Exercises Global Influence
- Syrian President Bashar al-Assad attended an Arab League summit for the first time since Syria's suspension in 2011.
- Saudi Arabia has taken the diplomatic lead in the Arab world, re-establishing ties with Iran, welcoming Syria back to the fold, and mediating in the Sudan conflict.
- Many Arab states hope Assad will now take steps to distance Syria from Shi'ite Iran, and curb a flourishing Syrian trade in narcotics, which are being produced in Syria and smuggled across the region.
- The summit showcased Saudi Arabia's efforts to exercise sway on the global stage, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in attendance and Crown Prince Mohammed restating Riyadh's readiness to mediate in the war with Russia.
- Finding a political solution to the 12-year-old Syrian conflict remains a big dilemma for Arab and Western countries.
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