In an unexpected development, Syria’s Islamist Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) government says it is ‘open’ to allowing Russia to keep its permanent air and naval bases on the Mediterranean coast. Russian forces throughout the country had rapidly pulled back to the two bases since Bashar al-Assad‘s December 8 ouster. Since then the naval base at Tartus and the Khmeimim Air Base near Latakia have seen a scramble of personnel packing up equipment, with the fate of the bases uncertain. Regional reports have said that much of the equipment is being relocated to a ‘friendly’ port in eastern Libya under warlord Khalifa Haftar. But Moscow would clearly like to maintain its only deep-water Mediterranean port, and wants the best outcome for its strategic presence in the Middle East. Of course, the West is pressuring HTS and self-declared President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa (aka Jolani) to boot the Russian bases. The Washington Post reports, “Syria is open to letting Russia keep its air and naval bases along the Mediterranean coast as long as any agreement with the Kremlin serves the country’s interests, Syrian Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in an interview this week, underscoring the pragmatic approach taken by his government as it charts new alliances […]