Qatari diplomats engaged with intermediaries from Hayat Tahrir al-Sham on Monday, following the Islamist group's involvement as a key rebel faction in the overthrow of Ba'athist dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria this week, according to a report by Reuters.
An unnamed source informed the news outlet that representatives from the Persian Gulf nation plan to speak on Tuesday with Mohamed al-Bashir, the individual designated by HTS as the head of the country’s transitional authority.
"The focus is on the need for HTS and other groups to maintain calm and preserve Syria's public institutions during the transition period," the official explained.
While Qatar’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment, Doha's Minister of State, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, acknowledged during an Al Jazeera broadcast on Monday that his government is engaged with "various parties on the ground" in Syria.
A senior functionary in the Islamic Republic told Reuters the regime in Tehran is also in contact with Syrian opposition forces to "prevent a hostile trajectory" between insurgents and the theocracy.
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