Assad regime present in syria is extremely important for both iran and hizballah because syria has been the center state that has facilitated the growth of hizballah and their communication with iran. The iranian regime is not in decline, and it is not. The islamic republic of iran and the syrian arab republic are close strategic allies, and iran has provided significant support for the syrian government in the syrian civil war, including logistical, technical and financial support, as well as training and some combat troops. While peace talks between the regime of bashar alassad and its opponents were floundering in montreux last month, iran was quietly escalating its support for damascus by increasing the number of highlevel military advisors it provides to the syrian army. Irans growing influence in syria and its efforts to improve hezbollahs strategic capacities presents israeli decisionmakers with a sense of urgency to act now while the future settlement in syria is still being shaped in order to avoid a fait accompli of an iranian stronghold on israels northern border. A comprehensive strategy for syria carnegie endowment. Iranian strategy in syria will fulton, joseph holliday, sam wyer may 20. Israel has five main objectives in the syrian conflict. The islamic states coordinated assault on irans parliament and the mausoleum of the late ayatollah khomeini on june 7 was its firstever attack in iran. At a time of deep anger against iran in the sunni arab world because of its intervention in syria, the islamic state likely saw the attack as a way to help its fundraising. Iranian involvement in the syrian civil war military. Today, the potential for direct interstate conflict is rising as proxy warfare declines and iran attempts to maintain the credibility of its forward. Issue brief the evolving iranian strategy in syria.
The strategic relations between iran and syria are char acterized as. Understanding irans role in the syrian conflict rusi. The relationship between syria and iran is receiving new scrutiny as an israeli offensive against lebanonsparked by an attack on israeli soldiers by the. Iranian unconventional warfare activities since 1982 have proved extensive. Confrontation between the united states and iran global. Irans hedging strategy aims to ensure, however, that it can continue to pursue its vital interests if and when the regime collapses, using parts of syria as a base as long as the syrian opposition fails to establish full control over all. Since 2014 shahed 129s have been spotted in syria and iraq near iranian border doing surveillance. Shahed 129 is one of the largest over half a ton uavs iran has developed and built. Syria turkey israel and a greater middle east energy war. Nevertheless, since the civil war in syria erupted in march 2011, iran has been one of the key supporters of the regime of president bashar alassad, and has maintained significant influence over the evolution of the conflict. Irans operational strategy in syria nicholas hargreavesheald introduction since the islamic revolution of 1979, the islamic republic of iran has proven to be a resilient and highly motivated u.
In recent years irans activities in syria have been severely criticised. The ongoing syrian conflict between the regime of president bashar alassad. Mar 29, 2017 6 elements of a strategy to push back on irans hegemonic ambitions martin s. The political economic context of syrias reconstruction. Civil war in syria, iran and iranian strategy in syrian conflict. Principally, the trump administration is following the approach laid out by secretary of state mike pompeo in may 2018, the socalled 12 steps. Jun 01, 2017 the fy 2018 syria train and equip program request furthers critical efforts accomplished since fy 2015 and is a key component of the strategy to counter isis operations in both syria and abroad.
The former is arab, alawite and secular, while iran is islamic, shia and deeply religious. Two weeks ago, an iranian drone that crossed into israeli airspace was intercepted by the israel air force, sparking a flareup between israel and syria, with an israeli f16 shot down and an extensive israeli strike against iranian and syrian targets in syria. The air line of communication between iran and syria is thus a key vulnerability for iranian strategy in syria. In syria, these successes culminated in a cunning albeit simple augmentation of their previous operational approach which allowed for a unified expeditionary force capable. Since 2018, iran has signed a series of economic agreements with the syrian government, signifying irans desire to assume an active role in syrias postwar reconstruction. Irans hedging strategy aims to ensure, however, that it can continue to pursue its vital interests if and when the regime collapses, using parts of syria as a base as long as the syrian opposition fails to establish full control over all of syrian territory. Especially the presence of shiite militias orchestrated by tehran was in the center of western, arab and of course israeli critique. Absent areas of legitimate and productive interaction such as trade, the political ramifications of the syrian conflict. Iranian involvement in the syrian civil war wikipedia. Both the united states and iran need to formulate better strategies for engaging with one another. Syrias alliance with iran this is the fifth in a series of usipeace briefings on syria published by the institutes center for conflict analysis and prevention.
The fy 2018 syria train and equip program request furthers critical efforts accomplished since fy 2015 and is a key component of the strategy to counter isis operations in both syria and abroad. Dprksyriairan nuclear nexus and strategic implications for israel and the rok by christina y. Iranian naval and m aritime strategy by christopher harmer middle east security report 12 r. Irans military forces and operations in syria are significantly more than what has been generally reported so far. Iransyria relations improved dramatically after the iranian revolution of 1979.
Ranj alaaldin, jason fritz, steven heydemann, bruce jones, and michael ohanlon propose a shift in u. Breaking down iran and russias military strategy in syria. Early estimates of iranian troops in syria numbered around 10,000, including members of the iranian army as well as the iranian revolutionary guard corps irgc. Iran and syria are close strategic allies, and iran has provided significant support for the syrian government in the syrian civil war, including logistical, technical and financial support, as well as training and some combat troops. As assad was losing ground from 2011 to october 20, iran became heavily involved in maintaining the current regime in power. Syria has been iran s strategic partner in deterring israel from attacking iran s proxies or its nuclear program. Iranian portvisits in syria suggests that irans sealanes to syria are more symbolic than practical. It was a furious response to what israel called an iranian rocket attack launched from syrian territory just hours earlier. Iran sees the survival of the syrian government as being crucial to its regional interests. Israel seeks to minimize iranian and russian influence in syria, block the transfer of advanced weapons to hezbollah, prevent syria from posing a credible military threat to israel or permitting iran to do so, undermine the legitimacy of syrias claims to the golan heights, and prevent sunni militants from establishing.
Naame shaam is a group of iranian, syrian and lebanese activists that focuses on uncovering the role of the iranian regime in syria. The syrian war has led to the rise and export of terrorism abroad as well as to. The political alliance between syria and iran has sustained itself through a shared perception of threat, a convergence of interests in lebanon and iraq, and a. Iranian academic spells out irans position in the middle east and questions us policy toward the region. Iran is also trying to create a zone of influence in syrias east while strengthening its deterrence against israel and the united states.
Jun 14, 2018 syrianiranian relation strategic, not subject to a deal irnasana president bashar alassad affirmed that the syrianiranian relation is strategic not subject to a deal, affirming that neither syria nor iran has floated this relationship on the international political bazaar for it to be subject to haggling. Syria and around the gulfiran continues to allow al qaeda aq operatives to reside in iran, where they have been able to move money and fighters to south asia and syria. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian. Occasional paper understanding irans role in the syrian conflict. Traditional regional studies literature focuses on korean issues within the asia paci. The role of iranian security forces in the syrian bloodshed lt. A starboard beam view of iranian alvand class frigate underway. Iran leases air, land and sea bases in syria ynetnews. The role of iranian security forces in the syrian bloodshed. Iranian involvement in the syrian civil war military wiki. Iran aims to boost prestige of beleaguered afghan proxy.
Iran is trying to boost the image of the fatemiyoun division, afghan fighters recruited by tehran to fight in syria, as the group suffers high casualties on the battlefield. In order to strengthen their mutual ties, syria and iran concluded a strategic agree. Irans foreign policy principles irans strategy in its hostile surrounding region has been a matter of controversy over the past decades. Syrianiranian relation strategic, not subject to a deal irnasana president bashar alassad affirmed that the syrianiranian relation is strategic not subject to a deal, affirming that neither syria nor iran has floated this relationship on the international political bazaar for it to be subject to haggling. Iran would not be able to maintain its current level of support to assad. Also, in august 2018, iran and syria signed an agreement on military cooperation. Syrias strategic alliance with egypt ended around the same time due to egypts treaty with israel. Developments on the overlapping battlefields of the counterisis and antiassad campaigns in syria have effectively fragmented syria into six distinct zones. Iran s syria strategy progressively escalated in response to the possible defeat of its ally and the deterioration of its forward deterrence capacities against the united states and israel. Irans supreme leader, ali khamenei, was reported in september 2011. Use the ongoing nuclear talks with iran as a platform for a further syria deal. Syrianiranian relation strategic, not subject to a deal. Iran began its military involvement in syria in 2011, at the outbreak of the civil war. Iran aims to boost prestige of beleaguered afghan proxy force.
The request provides resourcing to retain the flexibility to support vso in a very dynamic evolving unconventional warfare environment. The syria connection to iran, afghanistan and china the. Iran confrontation could trigger an escalation of proxy warfare in countries like syria and yemen, or an increase in iranian missile strikes targeting the seventy thousand u. Their successes in lebanon and iraq came in the face of some of the worlds most significant military, economic, and political powers. Jul 16, 2017 iran is trying to boost the image of the fatemiyoun division, afghan fighters recruited by tehran to fight in syria, as the group suffers high casualties on the battlefield. Artists in lebanon are pushing back against extremism through an increasingly popular rap movement that tackles radicalism and social challenges. Opposition gains in syria have interdicted many ground resupply routes between baghdad and damascus, and the relative paucity of iranian portvisits in syria suggests that irans sealanes to syria are more symbolic than practical. Iran and russia are partners in supporting the assad regime in syria, and they have common interests in the caspian. A subsection about hezbollahs recruitment efforts in lebanon provides previously unknown details about. Iranian leaders claim that western intervention and the creation of israel have distorted the regions politics and economics. Israel seeks to minimize iranian and russian influence in syria, block the transfer of advanced weapons to hezbollah, prevent syria from posing a credible military threat to israel or permitting iran to do so, undermine the legitimacy of syria s claims to the golan heights, and prevent sunni militants from establishing infrastructure or. Launching persianlanguage social media accounts, army says javad ghafari, from irgcs quds force, is overseeing tehrans efforts to establish a military presence in syria by toi staff august. As per its national military strategy, and restrained by its limited highend conventional capabilities, tehran is projecting force into syria by training, arming, and advising local and foreign shia militias which act as lightinfantry forces.
Michael segall amid the intensifying crisis in syria, which in recent weeks has seen massacres of the civilian population in various parts of the country, iranian military, propaganda, and. The idea of a permanent iranian presence in syria worries israel, which fears that it could face a threat there similar to that posed by hezbollah in lebanon. Two weeks ago, an iranian drone that crossed into israeli airspace was intercepted by the israel air force, sparking a flareup between israel and syria, with an israeli f16 shot down and an extensive israeli strike against iranian and syrian targets in syria in december, syrian state television reported that israeli warplanes struck a military base near damascus. The leases are part of iranian plan to permanently base fighter aircraft and roughly 5,000 militiamen capable of striking israel. Syria, iran, and the mideast conflict council on foreign. Iran, deeply embedded in syria, expands axis of resistance. Civil war in syria, iran and iranian strategy in syrian. Home to some 82 million citizens who are overwhelmingly some 95% shia muslim, iran has been governed since 1979 by a radically antiwestern theocratic shia.
Irans political leadership has also been a vocal supporter of the assads government in syria, given. It likewise is capable of conducting naval exercises and deployments. Meanwhile in syria an american f15 shot down another iranian shahed 129 because the uav was headed for u. Pdf iranian strategy in iraq and syria walter posch. But sanctions, outside pressure, sharp political differences over syria, and rising sectarianism have eroded iran s ties to the gulf. Postrevolution iran represented an opportunity for syrian president hafez alassad to find a new counterweight to israel and iraq, syrias regional foes. Nov 24, 2016 irans military forces and operations in syria are significantly more than what has been generally reported so far.
An analysis of the rhetoric employed by the persian press. The iranian military has been involved in the syrian conflict both directly and through proxy militias since 20. Iran sees syria as the iranian entra nce to the arab world, and syrias view is that iran is a paper of pressure in its negotiations with israel almuayawi, 20, p. Irans political leadership has also been a vocal supporter of the assads government in syria, given their close relations after the islamic revolution in 1979. Its mission is to be an analytical, researchled global forum for informing, influencing and. Iranian leaders frequently assert that the islamic revolution made iran independent of u. Russian military strategy, operational tactics and objective in syria russian military intervention in syria started around september 2015, after an official request from the syrias.
The iranian embassy and its cultural attache in damascus have been active in the dissemination of the shiite creed in syria and are active in missionary work in every province of the country, which they support by way of financial inducements, scholarships to iranian universities, free medical care, monthly stipends, and more. Iranian strategy in syria institute for the study of war. Feb 19, 2018 the idea of a permanent iranian presence in syria worries israel, which fears that it could face a threat there similar to that posed by hezbollah in lebanon. Iran s strategy in syria aims to keep president bashar al.
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