Part of the reason Moscow wants the Syrian conflict to end is that it is increasingly concerned about the financial and man power cost of its involvement in Syria. It is claimed that Putin's government realizes that however much Iran wants a military solution in Syria, it will not happen despite how many bombs are dropped. Syria is being called by some Russian analysts as "Iran's Afghanistan" and Iran's Vietnam."
Russian military officials have reportedly shown some interest in the Trump tweets in conversation with various regional diplomats and with Former US Secretary of State John Kerry in discussions on the subject of a strong US preference for a "Middle East Minus Iran" to achieve a regional settlement.
Could Putin and Trump convince Assad to end Iran's funneling arms to Hezbollah?
Why would Moscow and Damascus cooperate with expelling Tehran from Syria and thwarting what the region considers Iran's deeply entrenched hegemonic colonization efforts across the Middle East? And if Putin were to take the Trump offer could it cut out Iran, given vows by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, his deputy, Naim Qasim, Iran's "Supreme Leader" Ali Khamenei and sundry Iranian officials repeatedly insisting that they will not leave Syria. As of last month, they also pledge that Iran will not leave Iraq, and few in Washington, Tel Aviv or this region believe Iran will ever leave Lebanon. Voluntarily.
Might Damascus agree to shed Iran and its Shia militia and cooperate with Washington in fighting IS? Israel's right wingers have their hopes pinned on Donald Trump to get the job done as Bibi Netanyahu this week assured the people of Iran that Israel is their friend who commiserates with them for still being shacked with a brutal dictatorship.
Russian advances toward regaining a position as a major player in the Middle East and dramatically expanding its Mediterranean bases near Tartus and elsewhere have been widely reported. But Russia's hoped for increased power in Syria, economically, politically and militarily, faces problems with Iran. And over the past year, since Putin sent his air force and weapons to Syria, Russian-Iranian relations and Syria-Iranian relations have not always been smooth. Issues of Iran's 'colonization of Syria' and who makes the battlefield decisions regarding sending which forces to the front lines where casualties will be high remain. These kinds of tensions are inflamed by claims of "Persian/Shia arrogance" toward Syria's army manned in the main by Sunni Arabs and Syria's Arab population in general. Some Iranian clerics and officials opening boast that the leader of Syria is Al Quds Force commander Qasim Soleimani is Syria's military commander while deriding the Syrian army.
The Syrian government and armed forces are much closer of Russia than Iran and know well that there can never be a return to "One Syria" if Iran does not withdraw and remove its armed forces, security agencies and growing political structures. Under an agreement signed in Damascus this past week, Syria has offered Russia free use of the Soviet-era facility in Tartous for 49 years. The term can be automatically extended for further 25-year periods if neither side objects. The facility is the only such outpost Russia has outside the former Soviet Union. The Russian military has used Tartous to back its campaign in support of Assad against fighters battling to oust him. Last August, Russian lawmakers ratified another deal with Syria allowing Russia to keep its forces at the Hmeimim air base in Syria's coastal province of Latakia, Assad's Alawite heartland, for as long as it wants.
Iran wants similar deals in Syria. Neither Moscow or Damascus has agreed partly because Iran is claimed to be creating in Syria, Iraq and Yemen what is has imposed on Lebanon and is, which as claimed by its Sunni and Christian critics has essentially destroyed the sovereignty of all four.
According to Congressional sources and US Zionist lobby's pitch man Dennis Ross, "Israel's best friend" Trump can resolve the Syrian crisis but not with Iran involved." Ross and his ilk claim Iran is a much bigger problem for Syria and the region than ISIS. This while many in Congress, the Pentagon and the CIA insist that IS can and will be contained. Others argue that in any event Iran was one of the several "Mothers of ISIS" and it's partly their creation and Iran continue to do financial and political business with IS even though the Caliphate is now targeting Shia above all.
We may soon have answers to how Trumps reported "Syria without Iran" initiative fares in the swirling maelstrom of the proxy wars which continue in this ancient land.
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
