In its analysis, “Politico” counted the winners and losers of the rapid development of the situation in Syria. Israel is, of course, among the winners. Iran, they recall, accused Israel of being behind the overthrow of Assad. When Aleppo fell to the rebels, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it was “a plot by the Israeli regime to destabilize the region.”
If one were to observe the unraveling or renewal of the Middle East mess in the last year, and especially in recent months, one could hardly deny that Israel is among the biggest winners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actually had the full support of the outgoing US president’s administration. for the development of the war. It is therefore not surprising that Netanyahu simply turned a deaf ear to all pressure from the international community, including from Washington, because of the suffering of civilians. Three security sources said on Tuesday that the Israelis had advanced beyond the demilitarized zone.
A Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, a few kilometers east of the buffer zone and near the airport in Damascus. But an Israeli military spokesman said its soldiers had not left the demilitarized zone. Meanwhile, Israeli jets continue to strike targets across Syria to ensure that Syrian military equipment, including fighter jets, missiles and chemical weapons, does not fall into the hands of the rebels. In the past 48 hours, the Israeli military announced, Israel had carried out 350 airstrikes on Syrian military facilities, destroying most of the country’s “strategic weapons stockpile.”
THE BIG WINNERS
In its analysis, Politico counted the winners and losers of the rapid development of the situation in Syria. Israel is, of course, among the winners. Iran, they recall, accused Israel of being behind the overthrow of Assad. When Aleppo fell to the rebels, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said it was “a plot by the Israeli regime to destabilize the region.” Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also asserted the same on Wednesday, saying the overthrow of the Syrian president was the result of a plan by the United States and Israel.
It marks a further weakening of Iran’s regional power and removes an important member of Tehran’s so-called axis of resistance. Without Assad and a friendly regime in Syria, Iran will have no land route to supply its partner Hezbollah. to aid the group in its fight with Israel, making Lebanon’s Shiite militant movement another clear loser in Assad’s downfall, which could also make Lebanon a winner if the country is able to rid itself of Hezbollah,” Politico reported.
THE THREE LOSERS
The main losers are Russia, Iran and Hezbollah. The fall of Bashar al-Assad dramatically weakened Russia and Iran’s position in the Middle East. Moscow has urged Assad to come to terms with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — who may also be more than happy with the turn of events given the expansion of his influence through Syrian rebel gains and the possibility of further crushing Kurdish forces in the region — and to seek a political solution to end the civil war.
If that had happened, it would undoubtedly have opened Syria to lucrative trade for Russian companies and perhaps secured the Kremlin’s hold on strategic military bases in Syria.
Instead, Assad’s anger, cruelty, and stubbornness ended up costing him, the authorities, Russia, and Iran a drastic loss of influence, and gave Netanyahu new impetus for further efforts to shape the region according to his interests and tastes. However, another tailwind from Israel is sure to be added to all of this, as on January 20, Netanyahu’s great ally, Donald Trump, will move into the White House.
