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"Turkey and Saudi Arabia had planned to launch a ground operation in early 2016 in Syria against Assad. Saudi Arabia even sent its F-18 fighters to Turkey, but the plan did not go ahead because the U.S. refused to provide air support/coordination. The U.S. stated that the situation had become complicated after Russia's intervention in Syria.
When a Western journalist asked a Saudi official whether it was risky to conduct a ground operation in Syria with Russia present, the Saudi official responded, "Losing Syria to Iran is more risky for us than Russian risk."
After Trump was elected in 2016, Saudi Arabia aligned itself with the UAE and completely abandoned its involvement in Syria.
In December 2016, Russia helped Assad recapture Aleppo and then shifted focus to East Ghouta. At that point, the Saudi establishment believed the war in Syria was over.
Saudi Arabia, along with the UAE, then took more aggressive actions, including the blockade of Qatar and the assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey. These events severely damaged Saudi Arabia’s relationships with both Qatar and Turkey.
On February 28, 2020, when 34 Turkish soldiers were killed by Assad’s forces while defending Idlib, many Saudis on Twitter celebrated the incident. This reaction drew criticism from Syrian Sunni activists like Mousa Alomar. Around the same time, a video surfaced showing Turkish soldiers beating Assad’s soldiers, and many prominent Saudis on Twitter condemned Turkey for it.
Fast forward, Saudi Arabia has accepted Assad and is rehabilitating him by inviting him multiple times to Saudi Arabia.
And here we are now...
Hopefully, Saudi Arabia has learned its lesson and will not align itself with the UAE’s losing camp again."
