The foreign minister of USA, Anthony Blinkencompleted perhaps his last journey to Middle East as head of American diplomacy, with the aim of preventing the situation from spiraling out of control in Syria after his sudden fall Bashar al-Assad.

As it also mentions Associated PressBlinken was one of several US officials to visit the region in the final weeks of the Biden administration amid deep uncertainty in Washington about what approach the president is expected to take. Donald Trump around the Middle East when he takes office on January 20, 2025.

In particular, the US secretary of state held summit meetings in Jordan, Turkey and Iraq, aiming for a future full of alliances in the post-Assad era between regional partners and allies, whose interests are constantly in conflict with each other.

“We know that the events in Syria can cause strong consequences beyond borders, from instability to acts of terrorism,” he told reporters on Saturday in Aqaba, Jordan. “As we know very well that we should not underestimate the challenges of the days.”

The primary goal of his 11 previous trips to the region since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023 has been to secure a ceasefire in Gaza that would lead to the release of the remaining hostages.

Now, all of a sudden, that wasn’t his priority as it was being handled by President Biden’s National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivanwho traveled to Israel, Egypt and Qatar this week. Blinken said he used his own meetings to push for a ceasefire agreement.

Now, the clock is ticking and he is no ally for Biden to cement a legacy in the Middle East, especially after he was widely criticized for turning a blind eye to Israel’s military treatment of civilians in Gaza. Of course, on the other hand, it is a fact that the US did manage to push for a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which, although fragile, appears to be holding.

Charting a new course for Syria

While there are still hopes for a cease-fire in Gaza by the time Biden leaves the White House, helping shape a new Syria may prove to be less hopeful.

Blinken left Washington just three days after Assad fled for Russia. His aim was to convince countries in the Middle East that they should commit to supporting the US view of how Syria should be governed after decades of rule by the Assad family.

To that end, he secured the support of 12 foreign ministers from the Arab world, Turkey and top officials from the European Union and the United Nations who held an emergency meeting on Saturday in Syria.

They agreed that the new Syrian government should respect the rights of minorities and women, prevent terrorist groups from gaining ground, ensure that humanitarian aid reaches people in need and destroy any remaining chemical weapons of the Assad regime .

Notably, Blinken has promised that the United States will recognize and support a new administration that meets these principles.

Seeking stability to prevent the formation of the Islamic State

Syria is torn by partisan and sectarian infighting that led to the rise of the Islamic State from the start.

Turkey, Syria’s neighbor to the north, is deeply suspicious of the Kurds of Syria and Iraq. In fact, it considers them terrorists, although some of these Kurds have proven to be key American partners in the fight to destroy IS.

The US helped broker a deal between the Turks and one of those Kurdish groups, the Syrian Defense Forces, after Assad left, though it’s unclear how long that might last.

As Blinken said today Saturday, “the urgency now is to ensure that the success we’ve had in ending the ISIS territorial caliphate remains mission critical.”

Immediately after Assad fell, the US struck about 75 Islamic State targets in the Syrian desert in an attempt to prevent the group from regrouping. The Americans also have about 900 troops in Syria to fight the group.

Facing Trump’s return to power

There are concerns in the region about how the incoming Trump administration will handle the Middle East, apart from deepening ties with Israel.

Trump called for the immediate release of the hostages in Gaza, threatening on social media that there would be “HELL” otherwise, and urged the US not to get involved in Syria.

Still, current U.S. officials believe the Republican is unlikely to abandon U.S. military positions in Syria, as he sought to do during his first term. Their belief stems from the fact that Trump often takes credit for eliminating IS.

The threat of ISIS’ potential return would be too much for Trump to handle, according to these officials. They say Iraq, which signed a deal with the US in September under which the US-led coalition against Islamic State will withdraw next year, is already hinting that conditions could force a change in that timetable. .