Sharaa, who led Islamist rebel group that toppled regime, urges sanctions relief, as West moves to provide humanitarian essentials while demanding inclusive government

Saudi Arabia on Sunday sent another relief plane to Syria as part of an air bridge launched by the kingdom to assist Syria following last month’s fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The Saudi state news agency SPA said the plane is loaded with food, medical supplies, and shelter materials, though specific quantities were not disclosed.

Saudi Arabia hosted an expanded Arab ministerial meeting on Syria on Sunday following last month’s fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

Then, a Saudi delegation headed by the kingdom’s envoy, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, flew into Beirut for the second time in a week. It held a blitz of meetings with various political parties. By the time they left, there was only one candidate left: the US-backed Aoun.

More than 13 years of conflict in Syria have killed more than half a million people, ravaged the economy, and pushed millions to flee their homes, including to Europe.

Sham took power from Assad on Dec. 8 in a lightning offensive and have since installed an interim government that has promised a 400% salary increase for public sector workers.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar supplied on Monday humanitarian aid to those in need in Syria, the war-torn country where the Assad regime fell in December. Qatar's Foreign Ministry in a statement said an armed forces plane landed at the Damascus International Airport, carrying aid from the Qatar Fund For Development and the Qatar Charity.

Saudi Arabia on Sunday called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria after meetings with top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe that focused on the war-ravaged country's future.The Gulf kingdom,

Top diplomats from the Middle East and Europe arrived in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Sunday to discuss Syria, as world powers push for stability after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. The talks – which come a month after Islamist-led rebels toppled Assad – will include a meeting of Arab officials as well as a broader gathering also including Turkey,

Saudi Arabia is hosting foreign ministers from the Middle East and Europe on Sunday for talks on Syria's transition after the fall of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad, a Saudi official told AFP.

Backed by Iran and Russia, the regime led by Bashar al-Assad survived the revolutionary wave carried ... Egypt (February 2011), Libya (October 2011), and Yemen (February 2012). Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain, and Sudan also saw widespread protests ...

Iran is weaker and more vulnerable than it has been in decades, likely since its decadelong war with Iraq or even since the 1979 revolution. This weakness has reopened the debate about how the United States and its partners should approach the challenges posed by Iran.