Key developments

Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of Suwayda's Druze community, publicly endorsed the strategic direction of the United States and Israel in their confrontation with Iran, praising their actions as a means to remove what he described as the Iranian regime's destabilizing influence. In a March 24 statement he also accused Syria’s current government of continuing policies of the former regime—alleging economic marginalization and attempts at forced conversion—and affirmed his break with Damascus. Al-Hijri reiterated his support for Suwayda’s right to self-determination, said he relies on Israeli backing to build local self-administration, and condemned the shelling and violence affecting civilians across the region.

The remarks come after months of heightened tension in Suwayda: clashes between government forces and Druze-aligned local militias erupted in July 2025, prompting Israeli political and military support for Druze actors and a US-brokered detainee swap on February 26 (25 held by the National Guard released for 61 held by the government) intended to reduce escalation. Al-Hijri thanked intermediaries for that humanitarian exchange and suggested further deals may follow, while violence, tribal mobilization, and competing control over areas of the province continue to complicate prospects for a stable resolution, as reported by Enab Baladi