Iran and Syria bolster alliance amid regional tensions and global shifts - analysis

Syrian Foreign Minister Bassam al-Sabbagh flew to Iran this week, where he met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi.

Iranian state media did not initially provide many details about the meeting except that they discussed “various issues.” Afterward, Tehran said it would continue its strong support for Damascus, according to the reports.

This is significant because Iran is a key backer of the Syrian regime. With a new US administration coming into office, Iran and Syria may be considering what comes next. They also know that Russia could escalate its war against Ukraine in the coming months.

Russia is an important backer of the Syrian regime. It recently sent a representative, along with Iran and Turkey, to Astana, Kazakhstan, to discuss Syria.

There have been rumors over the past year that Turkey and the Syrian regime could normalize ties. While this would please Moscow, it might not please Tehran as much.

Sabbagh is in Tehran for his first visit since taking up his post in September, Iranian media reported. Araghchi also recently took up his post. “The two foreign ministers discussed issues of mutual interest and key regional developments,” the Iranian report said.

Araghchi said Iran and Syria would enhance cooperation, and that they had a “very good and positive” discussion about the region, including Gaza and Lebanon. Syria serves as a conduit for Iranian weapons trafficking to Hezbollah.

Strengthening Syrian ties amid regional tensions

There are also some tensions on the Golan Heights because Syria says Israel is conducting engineering and other work near the border.

Following the meeting, Iran condemned Israel’s “warmongering.”

“The Iranian foreign minister emphasized that Iran has demonstrated its strategy to the Zionist regime and to anyone who threatens the country, adding that Iran will not allow any aggression on its soil to go unanswered,” Iranian state media reported.

Iran is also preparing to face a new round of maximum pressure when the Trump administration comes into office, although Araghchi said it would not work.

Syria’s Sabbagh said Damascus opposes Israel’s “strikes on Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and the Iranian diplomatic mission in Damascus.” The latter is a reference to an attack this past April. Iran responded to it by launching missiles and drones at Israel.

Tehran is facing other issues as well. It condemned the European Union and said it would oppose any EU or UK sanctions. Iran also appears concerned about Israeli moves in the region.

“Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer has reportedly met with the UAE foreign minister during a recent secret visit to the Persian Gulf Arab country,” Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news agency, recently reported.

Iran’s preparations for war could lead to more peace, Araghchi said, according to the report. This odd comment illustrates how Iran may be stepping back from threatening to attack Israel.

He is saying that one can bring peace by preparing for war, i.e., peace through strength. He made the comments to Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commanders, IRNA reported.

According to a Ynet report, Araghchi’s meeting with Sabbagh came as “Israel proposed that some US sanctions should be lifted from Syrian President Bashar Assad in exchange for his involvement in preventing the flow of arms to Hezbollah across the Syrian border with Lebanon, the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria reported on Tuesday.”

This could be a significant development, and Iran and Syria may be watching Israel-Russia ties closely. They also know Hamas members have moved to Turkey and may be wondering how Turkey will leverage that development with Washington.

The region is clearly in play, and Tehran wants to make sure that it shores up its position in Syria.