There are several parties trying to strip Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa of his legitimacy. Their interests and objectives converge in an effort to undermine the fledgling Syrian state.
The first party is Iran and the sectarian militias that al-Sharaa pushed out of Syria, cutting off their logistical route for supplying Hezbollah militias.
Under Bashar al-Assad, Syria was effectively occupied by the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which viewed it, alongside Iraq, as the most important strategic component of its project to dominate the region. For the Iranians, losing Syria is a setback that cannot be compensated for. It is therefore only logical that they would seek to sabotage and weaken the Syrian state in the hope of bringing it back into the Iranian fold.
The second party is the separatists, including Hikmat al-Hijri in Sweida. He resembles Nasrallah, who openly declared his loyalty to Iran; al-Hijri, in this view, is an “Israeli Nasrallah.” Al-Hijri and his followers understand that their ultimate objective is to dismantle Syrian territory, since the secession of any region would mark the beginning of Syria’s fragmentation.
The third party consists of remnants of the Assad regime and those who benefited from it. These groups undoubtedly seek to spread chaos and rumors and to incite rebellion in order to reclaim their lost paradise. Under their rule, Syria became a republic of fear, corruption, prisons, and assassinations, and was later transformed into an Iranian province effectively governed by Qassem Soleimani and Esmail Qaani.
The fourth party is extremist groups. They believe the new Syria should serve as a jihadist base from which attacks, similar to those carried out by ISIS, can be launched against neighboring countries.
The new Syria disappointed the dispersed Muslim Brotherhood members and extremists who dreamed of restoring a caliphate in the style of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Instead, the opposite occurred. Syria’s Foreign Ministry succeeded in repairing the country’s relations with many Arab states, including some that had initially doubted it. In a firm and wise move, the Syrian state expelled the headquarters of extremist movements from its territory, preventing the country from being dragged into conflicts and wars it could not afford.
To the Syrian state’s credit, it has not exploited the Palestinian cause to gain political legitimacy or inflame public sentiment. That approach is a well-known and distasteful method of preserving power, exporting domestic problems abroad, seeking regional leadership, and feeding hungry people slogans instead of food.
The fifth party is intellectuals who refuse to forget President al-Sharaa’s past, despite his candid discussion of the transformations he has undergone. It is natural for a person to experience intellectual and ideological changes, especially at a young age.
Life experiences and greater awareness change people. Everything visible on the ground today contradicts these exaggerated suspicions. Moreover, who are these critics compared with countries such as the United States and Saudi Arabia, both of which have offered full support to al-Sharaa? These two countries fought terrorist organizations ranging from Al-Qaeda to ISIS.
The sixth party is some Syrians themselves. Their intentions may be good, but impatience and the widespread expression of dissatisfaction and frustration create opportunities for others to undermine the state’s legitimacy.
Everyone hopes that the new Syria will evolve into a liberal democracy in the Jeffersonian tradition. But state-building is not easy; it requires time and patience for institutions to take root. One of the greatest mistakes is trying to skip stages in the process. Syrians must move according to Syria’s own timetable, without recklessness or haste.
Al-Sharaa inherited a country that was devastated, occupied, and divided: devastated under Assad’s rule; occupied by the Iranians, their militias, and the Russians; divided among multiple forces dreaming of secession; and surrounded by opportunists, regime remnants, and extremists.
