Syria's interim president heads to Saudi Arabia on first trip abroad, likely a signal to Iran

Syria’s interim president has made his first trip abroad, traveling to Saudi Arabia in a move likely trying to signal Damascus’ shift away from Iran as its main regional ally. Ahmad al-Sharaa, once aligned with al-Qaida, traveled to Riyadh on Sunday alongside his government’s foreign minister, Asaad al-Shaibani. A photo published by the state-run SANA news agency showed the two men on a jet, likely provided by the kingdom, with a Saudi flag visible on the table behind them. Saudi state television trumpeted the fact that the first trip by al-Sharaa, first known internationally by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani, would make Riyadh his first destination.