Israeli messages in southern Syria, complexities of Iraqi scene

The papers issued this morning shed light on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s tour of southern Syria, the renewed strategic alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United States, and the complicated scenarios that followed the latest Iraqi elections.

Netanyahu “pushes deeper” into southern Syria

Al-Quds Al-Arabi highlighted the tour of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in southern Syria, accompanied by senior military, intelligence, and diplomatic officials.

The newspaper described the tour as an unprecedented political and strategic move aimed at assessing military readiness on the northern front and sending clear security messages, particularly regarding the protection of Druze communities in the area.

These developments come after the failure of negotiations between Tel Aviv and Damascus on Israeli withdrawal from the south. Israel links any withdrawal to a peace agreement, while Damascus insists on a return to the pre-December 2024 lines, amid partial US support and a Russian repositioning in southern Syria.

A world of solutions

Asharq Al-Awsat reported on the atmosphere surrounding Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, noting an unprecedented American welcome and the designation of Saudi Arabia as a strategic ally outside the “NATO” framework.

The newspaper said the agreements signed during the visit were “written in the language of the future,” with Washington taking on clear commitments as part of a comprehensive alliance spanning politics, economics, and science.

It also noted that the issues discussed between the two sides had never before been addressed with such depth between a US president and an Arab leader from the question of a Palestinian state, to artificial intelligence, the Sudan crisis, and anticipated major investments.

The newspaper argued that the visit marks a strategic turning point in the Riyadh–Washington relationship and represents a shift in the very concept of partnership within the new Middle East.

Complex scenarios after the Iraqi elections

Al-Khaleej focused on the developments that followed Iraq’s parliamentary elections, noting that the Federal Supreme Court’s decision to consider November 11 as the end of the parliament and government’s mandate upended the calculations of the major political forces.

The newspaper sees the decision as triggering a fierce race between the two main Shiite blocs, the Coordination Framework led by Nouri al-Maliki and the Reconstruction and Development Alliance led by Mohammed al-Sudani, to form the largest parliamentary bloc under three main scenarios:

First: “The Coordination Framework moves to sideline al-Sudani and form the largest bloc through alliances with Sunni and Shiite parties.”

Second: “Al-Sudani attempts to build a cross-sectarian alliance that includes Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish factions to secure a majority.”

Third: “Al-Sudani returns to the Coordination Framework under conditions imposed by al-Maliki, in a scene reflecting complex regional balances between US and Iranian influence.”

The newspaper notes that the agreement announced within the Coordination Framework to present itself as the largest bloc constitutes “halfway” toward forming the government, while the selection of the next prime minister remains the most difficult challenge in the coming phase. 

A-H 

ANHA