Syria’s interim foreign minister, Assaad al-Shaibani, visited Iraq for the first time since the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Relations between the two countries are complicated, as Iraq, with a Shiite majority, has become a strategic U.S. partner while also aligning with Iran, Assad’s former backer. Amid recent violence in Syria, where over 1,300 civilians were killed, Iraq condemned the massacre and is investigating attacks against Syrian workers within its borders. Iraqi forces have arrested Syrians accused of promoting terrorist groups. Syria’s foreign ministry has called for measures to ensure the safety of its citizens in Iraq.
Baghdad:
The interim foreign minister of Syria made his inaugural trip to Iraq on Friday, marking his first visit since his Islamist coalition ousted Bashar al-Assad.
Since Assad’s removal, the dynamics between Syria and Iraq have grown increasingly complex, as Assad was a close ally to the Baghdad government.
During his visit to Baghdad, Syria’s chief diplomat Assaad al-Shaibani held discussions with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, according to reports from the official Iraqi News Agency.
Iraq, with its Shiite Muslim majority, maintains a strategic partnership with the United States but also has strong ties with Iran, which was a significant supporter of Assad’s regime.
While Assad primarily relied on support from Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah in Lebanon, various Iraqi armed factions were also instrumental in safeguarding his leadership throughout the 13-year civil conflict ignited by his suppression of democratic protests.
The rebels who successfully toppled Assad in December are predominantly Sunni Muslims, and interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, who has aimed to project a more moderate stance since assuming power, previously fought alongside Al-Qaeda in Iraq against U.S. forces and their allies.
Iraq condemned the massacre of at least 1,383 civilians in coastal Syria earlier this month at the hands of security forces, allied factions, and jihadists.
Most of the victims were Alawites, members of Assad’s sect, which is an offshoot of Shiite Islam.
This week, Iraq announced it was probing an attack on Syrian nationals within its borders after a newly established Iraqi group pledged to retaliate for the mass killing of Alawite civilians.
Supporters of pro-Iran armed factions in Iraq have initiated a campaign online against Syrians they allege are complicit in the mass murders.
In recent days, Iraqi forces apprehended at least 13 Syrians accused of “promoting terrorist groups” and backing the mass killings in Syria, according to two interior ministry officials who spoke to AFP on the condition of anonymity.
On Wednesday, Syria’s foreign ministry expressed outrage over the violence directed at its citizens, urging Baghdad to take “necessary measures to ensure the security of Syrians residing in Iraq” in an official statement.
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