Iran Deal Ripples Felt From Syria Battlefields to Saudi Palaces
Source: Bloomberg Businessweek
After news of the Iranian nuclear deal emerged, Syria quickly welcomed it as a triumph for its ally Iran and a setback for opponents led by Saudi Arabia.
Hours after world powers and Iran shook hands on a pre-dawn agreement on Nov. 24, Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi, whose government is backed by Iran in a civil war with rebels funded by Saudi Arabia, said the pact marked a victory for diplomacy over “threats, ultimatums, challenges and wars.” The Foreign Ministry hailed “Iran’s role in the stability and security of the region.”
The agreement follows the U.S. decision two months earlier to pull back from using force against President Bashar al-Assad, angering its Gulf allies. With Saudi Arabia pledging to respond by broadening its support for rebels, and Iran now freed from some of the pressure of sanctions, there’s concern the rival nations may step up their proxy war in Syria where the fighting has already killed more than 100,000 people in 2 1/2 years.
“Up to now Iran was perceived as a spoiler,” said Sami Nader, a professor of international relations at Beirut’s St. Joseph University. “Now it will have to choose between acting as a partner, which means a less aggressive role in the Middle East, or it could decide it can have a free hand in Syria in exchange for compromising on its nuclear program.”
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