Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa arrived in New York on Monday ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. This is an important trip for the Syrian leader, during which he will meet with the leaders of other countries and will also seek to increase investment in Syria.
At the same time, the prime minister of Iraq, Ali al-Zaidi, also traveled to New York, hoping to push a message about how Iraq will rein in Iranian-backed militias.
Taken together, Iraq and Syria form a key bloc in the Middle East. Both are large and populous countries. Both countries were also divided by conflict up until recently. For instance, ISIS once controlled a swath of both Iraq and Syria. These countries are the heartland of the historic Levant.
Iraq is the land of the two rivers, which played a role in the birth of civilization in the region. Syria is also an ancient land, with ruins from the Roman and Crusader eras. Both Baghdad and Damascus played key roles in Islamic history.
Today, Iraq and Syria are quite different. Iraq suffers from Iranian influence and Iranian-backed militias. It is suffering economically because it can’t export as much oil due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Syria, by contrast, is trying to get back on its feet after many years of civil war. Syria is closer in ties to Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Syria recently embraced by US as Israel opposes new government, Turkish influence
It has also been embraced by the US over the last year. Israel, in contrast to the US and other countries that embraced the new Syria, has tended to oppose the new Syrian government and threaten Turkey’s role in Syria. Aware of Israel’s military strength and clout in the US, Syria is being careful not to create more tensions with Jerusalem.
Syria’s delegation to the UN confab includes “minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, Emergency and Disaster Management Minister Raed al-Saleh, and a number of other officials.” Syrian state SANA media says that “during his visit, President al-Sharaa is scheduled to deliver the Syrian Arab Republic’s address before the General Assembly, hold talks with a number of world leaders and senior officials, and meet members of the Syrian community in the United States.”
Syrian state media also noted that. “President Ahmad al-Sharaa met with members of the U.S. Congress in New York on Tuesday for talks on bilateral relations, developments in Syria and regional and international issues.” It added that “Foreign and Expatriates Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani and other officials attended the meeting. The talks addressed relations between Syria and the United States and the situation in Syria, as well as the latest regional and international developments.”
Meanwhile, The National in the UAE noted that “US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al Zaidi discussed the importance of disarming militia groups in Iraq, as the deadline to bring arms under state control was pushed from the end of this month to June next year.”
This is an important meeting. Rubio and the Iraqi prime minister “agreed on the importance of Iraq dismantling terrorist militias, preventing attacks from Iraqi territory, and fully exercising its sovereignty”, a statement from the US State Department said.
The goal is to get Iraq to rein in the Iranian-backed militias, many of which are designated terrorist groups by the US. Zaidi has now said that he wants to see the arms under state control by June 2027, according to an interview with The New York Times.
“Militia groups have largely pushed back against the deadline to disarm. Two prominent pro-Tehran armed groups, Asaib Ahl Al Haq and Kataib Imam Ali, alongside cleric Moqtada Al Sadr’s Saraya Al Salam faction, claim they have placed their weapons under state authority. But hardline factions – mainly Kataib Hezbollah and Harakat Hezbollah Al Nujaba – have said they will not disarm until foreign troops leave,” The National added.
Zaidi’s US meetings aimed at getting support for Iraq
Zaidi’s meetings in the US, with Rubio and others, are aimed at getting support for Iraq. He wants more investment and hopes for a new partnership with the US after US forces leave.
Both Iraq and Syria are at a crossroads. The meetings at the UN suggest they are seeking a new future for the region. If they succeed, then that will stabilize a large swath of the Middle East between Turkey, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. If they can't bring home the investment they need, difficult times lie ahead.