On the sidelines of an eventful Nato summit in Ankara, US President Donald Trump was sitting next to his Syrian counterpart Ahmad Al Shara when he announced his intention to lift Syria’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism.
The move would bring massive relief for the country as it attempts to rebuild in a post-Assad era. But Mr Al Shara’s presence at the summit also reflects Syria’s increasingly important security role in the region.
With Iran’s weakened influence, other powers are seeking to capitalise on the void in Syria and across the border in Lebanon. Mr Trump suggested last month that Damascus could handle Hezbollah, with which Israel has been at war.
Meanwhile, Nato host Turkey, which sees Israel as a threat, has been strengthening its relationship with the new Syrian government.
In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher unpacks the battle between foreign powers to hold sway over Syria and examines how Mr Al Shara will handle it. We hear from The National’s Turkey correspondent Lizzie Porter and Noah Bonsey, senior adviser on Syria at the International Crisis Group.
