We can all be millionaires in Iran...
Iran’s rial drops to all-time low against the US dollar
Iran’s currency has hit a new all-time low against the US dollar amid uncertainty following the fall of longtime ally al-Assad and the upcoming return of Donald Trump to the US presidency.
The rial dropped to 756,000 to the dollar on the unofficial market, compared with 741,500 rials on Friday, according to Bonbast.com, which reports the exchange rate.
But the dollar has been gaining against the rial since early November amid concerns that Trump, once inaugurated, would re-impose his “maximum pressure” policy against Iran with tougher sanctions and empower Israel to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
US acknowledges direct contact with HTS
In the first public acknowledgement of the US speaking with the opposition group that removed al-Assad, Blinken said US officials have been in direct contact with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
Blinken would not discuss details of the contacts but said it was important for the US to convey messages to the group about its conduct and how it intends to govern in a transition period.
“Yes, we have been in contact with HTS and with other parties,” Blinken said. “Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we’re prepared to help them do so.”
HTS, which was once an affiliate of al-Qaeda, has been designated as a foreign “terrorist organisation” by the US since 2018. That designation carries with it severe sanctions, including a ban on the provision of any “material support” to the group or its members. The sanctions do not, however, legally bar US officials from communicating with designated groups.
What did the Arab FMs agree on during a meeting on Syria?
Foreign ministers from Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, the UAE, Bahrain and Qatar have called for a peaceful transition in Syria following the fall of al-Assad following talks in Jordan:
- The post al-Assad political process in Syria must be supported by “the United Nations and the Arab League, in accordance with the principles of Security Council Resolution 2254”.
- They backed a transitional government, supported by Syrians, to enable “a political system that corresponds to the aspirations of all parts of the Syrian people, through free and fair elections overseen by the United Nations”.
- They warned against “any ethnic, sectarian or religious discrimination”, calling for “justice and equality for all citizens”.
- State institutions in Syria must be preserved to stop the country from “slipping into chaos”. The statement also called to boost “efforts to combat terrorism … as it poses a threat to Syria and to the security of the region and the world”.
- The ministers condemned Israel’s incursion into the buffer zone, demanding that Israel withdraw its forces from Syrian territory.
New Syria is aware international support is conditional
The Syrian leadership is aware that the show of support, regionally and internationally, is conditional.
They are trying to organise their own house, doing their homework, making sure that whatever they do, whatever statements they make, align well with the desire of those supporters.
They are aware of the background of the leadership itself, from al-Nusra to al-Qaeda and so on. And in their statements, they are making sure they are telling the international community, and Syrians, that this is a new era and that they are new people in terms of their commitments, what they want to do and what visions they have for Syria and the region.
So they are talking to all parties in Syria, trying to create a government that represents all the Syrians to make sure that people put down their arms and integrate in one country, one united Syria.
They know that if they deliver well on this, it will only help the international community and the regional players to also deliver on their promises for the country.
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