DAMASCUS, Syria โ Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa will not be present at the Arab League summit in Iraq this week, with the foreign minister leading the countryโs delegation instead, the presidentโs office announced on Tuesday.
The statement from President Ahmad al-Sharaaโs office did not provide a specific reason for his absence from the summit. Tensions arose in Iraq following an invitation extended by the Iraqi government the previous month. The summit is set to take place in Baghdad this coming Saturday.
Recently, al-Sharaa and his interim administration have been actively seeking to forge connections with countries throughout the Middle East. This is part of a broader effort to mitigate doubts concerning his past affiliations with al-Qaida and to persuade the United States to lift the significant economic sanctions impacting Syria.
His presence at the Arab Summit would have represented a significant diplomatic achievement for Damascus. As al-Sharaa contends with opposition from non-Sunni Muslim minority groups within the country, such an appearance could have bolstered his attempts to re-establish state authority across Syria.
Ahmad al-Sharaa assumed leadership following a rapid rebel offensive that displaced his predecessor, Bashar Assad, in December. Since then, he has attempted to present himself as a unifier and reformer, aiming to restore Syria after almost 14 years of civil strife. However, his background as a Sunni Islamist combatant has generated suspicion among various parties, particularly Shiite factions in Iraq.
Once known under the alias Abu Mohammed al-Golani, al-Sharaa previously participated in al-Qaidaโs insurgency against U.S. forces subsequent to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He remains under an Iraqi warrant for his arrest tied to terrorism allegations.
Throughout Syriaโs ongoing conflict, which started in March 2011, numerous Iraqi Shiite militias supported Assadโs forces, creating a complex dynamic with al-Sharaa, given his controversial history.