Developments in Syria, Iran, and Greenland: Regional and International Files at the Forefront

Arab newspapers published this morning highlighted a range of regional and international issues, foremost among them the trajectory of national reconciliation in Syria, the developments of renewed protests in Iran, and the escalating debate over the future of Greenland between the United States and Europe.

On the Syrian issue, Al-Arab newspaper argued that the country stands before a decisive test centered on the possibility of reaching a comprehensive national reconciliation. It stressed that any political project that does not recognize religious, sectarian, and ethnic diversity, and does not ensure genuine participation of all components in decision-making, will remain fragile and prone to collapse.

The newspaper emphasized that Syria represents an intertwined social mosaic that could become a source of strength if incorporated into a new social contract based on equal citizenship and a civil constitution. It called for separating religion from the state and undertaking deep reforms in the security and judicial institutions as a fundamental entry point to ending division and violence.

In Iran, Al-Quds Al-Arabi reviewed the trajectory of protests since 1999, through the Green Movement in 2009, the livelihood-related protests of 2019, and the 2022 movement following the killing of Jina Amini, up to the most recent wave linked to worsening economic conditions and the depreciation of the national currency.

The newspaper noted that the protests have witnessed a notable shift from economic demands to political demands targeting the top of the system, alongside growing criticism directed at the position of the Supreme Leader and the religious establishment. It pointed out that the regime attributes the protests to external factors, while protesters assert that their causes are internal.

The newspaper suggested that Iran remains facing open scenarios, ranging between a temporary nuclear deal that keeps the system in place, a limited military escalation, or the continuation of protests that could lead to a fundamental change in the structure of governance or in its political behavior.

As for the Greenland file, Al-Khaleej newspaper stated that the United States is ignoring the widespread popular rejection within the island of any American affiliation or continued Danish dominance, noting that the majority of the population rejects becoming American or Danish citizens.

The newspaper added that U.S. economic offers have failed to change the stance of the island’s residents, who adhere to the option of full independence. It predicted that the continuation of this file would lead to further complications in European–American relations, amid Greenlanders’ insistence on determining their own destiny away from the conflicts of major powers.