Donald Trump, during a press conference about Syria held during his first presidential term, April 6, 2017, in Mar-a-Lago, Florida. (Credit: Jim Watson/AFP)
For over a year, Bashar al-Assad’s name has resurfaced primarily in discussions about his silence amid the war between Israel and the Tehran-led “axis of resistance.” Powerless against near-daily Israeli strikes on territories under his control and heavily reliant on Russia and Iran for support, the Syrian president has remained on the sidelines. Observers suggest Assad views these events as an opportunity to distance himself from Iran, diversify his alliances, strengthen his regional rehabilitation, and seek normalization with Western powers. Could the incoming Trump administration open a pathway to these ambitions? Recent attention has centered on President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard. A former Democrat who recently joined the Republican Party, Gabbard made headlines in 2017 when...
For over a year, Bashar al-Assad’s name has resurfaced primarily in discussions about his silence amid the war between Israel and the Tehran-led “axis of resistance.” Powerless against near-daily Israeli strikes on territories under his control and heavily reliant on Russia and Iran for support, the Syrian president has remained on the sidelines. Observers suggest Assad views these events as an opportunity to distance himself from Iran, diversify his alliances, strengthen his regional rehabilitation, and seek normalization with Western powers. Could the incoming Trump administration open a pathway to these ambitions? Recent attention has centered on President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of National Intelligence: Tulsi Gabbard. A former Democrat who recently joined the Republican Party, Gabbard made headlines in 2017...