Syria's Diplomatic U-Turn: From Isolation to Coalition

On Saturday, United States Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack revealed that Syrian President Ahmed Sharaa might soon visit Washington. This visit could signify Syria's entry into the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State, indicated Barrack during the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, a notable global security meeting.

This would be Sharaa's second trip to the United States, following his participation at the UN General Assembly in New York last September. Assuming power from Bashar al-Assad last December, Sharaa has been proactive in making international visits to mend and forge new ties with global powers previously distanced from Damascus under Assad’s rule.

The Islamic State, at its peak between 2014 and 2017, controlled about a third of Syria and Iraq, enforcing harsh Islamic law. Although their final stronghold fell in 2019, recent reports suggest the group is leveraging Assad's downfall, posing threats of resurgence in Syria and Iraq.