Syrian president says working to keep country out of regional war

Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa stated on Friday that he is focused on keeping Syria out of regional conflicts amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. He emphasized that his government maintains good relations with all neighboring countries. In a speech given after the Eid Al-Fitr prayer at the presidential palace in Damascus, Sharaa remarked, “We are carefully planning our actions to ensure Syria avoids any conflict.” He highlighted that Syria has faced conflict for the past 15 years and even before that, but now it is at peace with its regional and international neighbors. He also expressed that Syria stands “in full solidarity with the Arab states.” The Middle East conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. In retaliation, Iran targeted Israel and conducted strikes on U.S. embassies and interests, as well as energy sites and civilian areas in Gulf nations. The conflict has also affected Lebanon, with Israel carrying out extensive strikes in response to Hezbollah's actions, and Iraq, where air raids have targeted Iran-aligned Iraqi armed groups. Despite being a battleground for international powers during years of conflict, Syria has managed to stay somewhat removed from the recent regional tensions. While Syrians observe the war from a distance, Israel has been intercepting Iranian missiles flying overhead. However, violence is still present; on Friday, the Israeli military reported attacking Syrian army camps in retaliation for what it described as assaults on the Druze community in the Sweida province in southern Syria.