Syria’s Assad Visits Saudi Arabia for Arab League Summit
Syrian President Bashar al Assad landed in Saudi Arabia to attend the Arab League summit yesterday. This is Syria’s first visit since being suspended from the league for the past 12 years.
The Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011, when pro-democracy protesters challenged Assad’s leadership. His dictatorial regime responded with brutality, resulting in the formation of militias throughout the country. Later that year, the member states of the Arab League suspended Syria until he agreed to follow the terms of a previously signed peace deal.
Despite his war crimes, Assad was welcomed back to the Arab League.
The 12-year bloodbath in Syria has an estimated death toll of over 300,000. Almost 7 million have been displaced, the highest number of refugees originating from a nation. Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people. After the 7.8-magnitude earthquake in February that killed over 50,000 people, Assad continued his regular bombings.
Why would the Arab League allow his return? Why restore ties?
Iranian influence: Assad’s ability to stay in power has come in large part from a close ally: Iran. Syria has received roughly $8 billion in direct economic aid from Iran in the past three years. Iran supplies Syria with 70,000 barrels of oil daily. Last month, it was revealed that Iran used the earthquake as a guise to send “humanitarian aid” to victims—aid that consisted of weapons and military equipment for the Syrian government.
In return, Iran has received economic concessions and the right to construct a sea port in Syria. One of the trade deals signed in 2017 gave Iran the rights to become a mobile service provider in Syria. It’s also been given almost 25,000 acres of land—half for building oil and gas terminals, half for agriculture.
For the past 10 years, Iran has worked to gain economic control over Syria.
Why does this concern the Arab League? Continuing to alienate Assad allows Iran’s influence in Syria to grow: Iran would go unchecked and the balance of power would eventually be tipped in the terrorist nation’s favor.
The Arab League hopes to counter that influence by bringing Syria back into the circle. At least, that is the political reason. The far more important reason is one the Trumpet has been heralding for years: The Bible said it would happen.
Alteration of alliances: Two end-time Middle Eastern alliances prophesied in the Bible are relevant to this story. One can be found in Psalm 83, and consists of the ancestral peoples of Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Gaza and, notably, Syria (descended from “the Hagerenes,” verse 6). Verse 8 shows how this alliance is led by Germany (Assur).
The other alliance, found in Daniel 11:40-43, is described as the king of the south. Led by Iran, it will include Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Djibouti, Eritrea and Iraq. (Request a free copy of our booklet The King of the South for proof.)
In September 2012, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote that the Psalm 83 alliance shows that Syria will switch sides; Syrian-Iranian ties will be cut. Syria’s readmission into the Arab League is a crucial step in the formation of these alliances. Read his article “How the Syrian Crisis Will End” and watch as these prophecies unfold in current events.
