Syria integrates armed factions into army to ensure state weapons monopoly

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani said on Monday that Damascus has integrated armed factions into the national army to ensure weapons remain exclusively under state control, describing the move as essential for protecting the country's recovery and strengthening sovereignty. Speaking at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo during the 166th regular session of the council, al-Shaibani emphasized that restricting arms to the state represents a sovereign decision aimed at protecting all Syrians. "To protect this recovery, we integrated the armed factions and rebuilt our national army on the basis of restricting arms to the state," he said, according to Syrian state media.

Reconstruction efforts

Al-Shaibani stated that Syria has undergone major transformations under President Ahmed al-Sharaa during the past 20 months, shifting from crisis management toward active reconstruction. He indicated that Damascus ended decades of authoritarian governance, "unified the country," defeated partition projects, and restored northeastern Syria to state control.

He added that authorities are addressing societal wounds left by the former regime through "justice and reconciliation." The foreign minister highlighted that Damascus has restructured national institutions and established a new parliament, while prioritizing the return of hundreds of thousands of children from displacement camps to schools and universities.

Regional solidarity

Addressing regional conflicts, al-Shaibani stated that Damascus has declared solidarity with Gulf nations and Jordan since the outbreak of what he described as the "American-Israeli-Iranian war." "We reject the Iranian attacks on their territories and the use of weapons outside the framework of the state," he said.

Regarding Israel, al-Shaibani welcomed the Arab League's condemnation of Colombia's decision to recognize Israel's annexation of the occupied Golan Heights. "Syria affirms that Arab rights in the occupied Golan are inalienable," he said, adding that Damascus remains committed to diplomatic efforts to end Israeli attacks, arrests, and incursions into Syrian territory. The 166th regular session of the Arab League Council is convening in Cairo with foreign ministers from member states discussing regional developments.