Chicago – December 14, 2024
Top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League, and Turkey met in Jordan on Saturday to discuss how to support Syria’s future after the fall of Bashar Assad’s government. Syrian representatives did not attend the meeting.
The end of the Assad family’s over 50-year rule has raised concerns about further instability in the region, which is already affected by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and tensions between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, despite a fragile ceasefire.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned that American officials have been in touch with the Syrian insurgent group responsible for overthrowing Assad, but the group remains listed as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. and other countries.
In an interview with Syrian TV, the leader of the insurgent group did not confirm contact with the U.S. but warned Israel about the hundreds of airstrikes it carried out in Syria over the past week. The U.S. is also calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, where the war has caused a severe humanitarian crisis for more than 2 million Palestinians.
