Iran has opened a direct line of communication with rebels from Syria's new leadership after its ally Bashar al-Assad was ousted, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday. According to him, the purpose of this communication is to “prevent a hostile trajectory” between the two countries in the new conditions of political instability, quoted by Reuters.
The advance of the militia alliance headed by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – a former branch of al-Qaeda, has led to one of the biggest upheavals in the Middle East in generations. Assad's fall as president has removed an important bastion from which Iran and Russia exerted influence in the region, a strategic move that is changing the balance of power in the Arab world.
Iran's clerics, faced with the loss of that ally and the impending return of Donald Trump to the White House in January, appear ready to commit to cooperation with Syria's new leaders. The senior Iranian source stressed that this commitment is key to stabilizing relations between the countries and preventing further regional tensions.
Tehran is deeply concerned about the future of the political situation in Syria and the geopolitical consequences of Assad's ouster, seeking to maintain stability in the region and preserve its strategic interests.