Baghdad/Damascus: Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa will not attend the Arab League Summit set to take place in Baghdad this weekend, Syrian state media reported on Monday. The decision follows intense criticism over Iraq’s invitation to Sharaa, whose past militant activities and imprisonment in Iraq have drawn sharp opposition from key political groups in the country.
According to Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya TV, the country’s delegation to the summit on Saturday will instead be led by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani. The outlet did not provide an official explanation for President Sharaa’s withdrawal. The summit is expected to center on urgent regional issues, particularly the reconstruction of Gaza and the broader Palestinian cause.
Sharaa’s absence underscores the complex regional dynamics Syria faces as it re-establishes relations in the post-Assad era. Since assuming power last year following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa has made swift diplomatic progress with Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. However, reengagement with Shi’ite-majority states like Iraq—where Iranian influence runs deep—has proven far more delicate.
Sharaa’s controversial history in Iraq casts a long shadow. He reportedly fought alongside Al Qaeda in Iraq following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and was later imprisoned for more than five years before being released in 2011 due to lack of evidence, according to a senior Iraqi security official. After returning to Syria, he founded a branch of Al Qaeda in the country, eventually breaking away in 2016 to form Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the Islamist faction that ultimately toppled Assad.
Iraq’s decision to invite Sharaa sparked outrage, particularly among Shi’ite factions who accused him of involvement in sectarian violence. A petition signed by at least 57 members of Iraq’s 329-seat parliament called on the government to revoke the invitation. Concerns about a potential arrest warrant surfaced, but Iraqi officials denied any such plans.
Despite the controversy, several Sunni political leaders welcomed Sharaa’s participation, viewing it as a strategic step to reorient Iraq away from Tehran and toward closer ties with Arab states that have supported Sharaa’s rise.
Also Read | Modi Invites Putin to India, Russian President Accepts in Symbol of Deepening Ties
“There are elements… working against Iraq’s progress to reclaim its rightful place within the Arab community,” said Raad al-Dahlaki, head of the Azm Alliance, a key Sunni bloc in Iraq’s legislature.
Regional analysts say Iraq has become the final stronghold in Iran’s Axis of Resistance following the downfall of Assad and Israeli military pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Some Syrian observers have expressed concern for Sharaa’s safety in Iraq amid the backlash.
Also Read | DOJ Scales Back Corporate Crime Probes; FBI Refocused on Immigration
“For his Iraqi critics, it’s not going to be easy for them to digest, nor for the Syrian secret service to disregard those threats,” said Mahmoud Toron, an analyst close to the Syrian government.
Sharaa’s last-minute withdrawal, though unexplained officially, reflects the fragility of his regional rehabilitation and the lingering distrust in nations still grappling with the scars of past conflicts.
