The severe earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria brought up again in the Arab discourse the reference to the Assad regime.
The leader of the Arab world, Saudi Arabia, which even before the earthquake began flirting with the Assad regime, has provided generous humanitarian aid to Syrians in the regime's territories, but this does not mean that it is still ready to normalize relations with it and return Syria as a member of the Arab League.
At the end of the week, the Saudi Foreign Minister stated that there is a consensus in the Arab world that the current situation in Syria cannot continue as it is.
According to diplomatic sources, Saudi Arabia is ready to thaw relations with Assad and return him to the "Arab bosom", but it has one major condition, which it is doubtful that the Syrian leader will be able to accept: Damascus must sever the deep security and strategic ties with Iran.
The Saudis claim that for them the fact that the Iranians are using their influence in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq as a bargaining chip in negotiations with international parties is unacceptable.
Before the war in 2011, Saudi Arabia had a great influence on the powerful Sunni communities in the area of Aleppo, Homs and Daraa, most of which were originally from the Arabian Peninsula.