Tehran’s ambitions in West Asia stymied- Kurdish Globe
Iran is losing its sole Arab ally, even as signs of danger caused by the hands of the theocratic regime of Iran loom.
Since the rise of massive political upheaval in the Arab world and the fall of dictatorial regimes one by one in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and most recently Yemen, the process of regime change is likely to continue, and it seems Syria is next in line. But while an almost 10-month conflict in Syria has resulted in more than 6,000 deaths and there is no clear indication of whether the popular Syrian uprising will cease anytime soon, the international community continues to hesitate to take a bold step in order to end bloodshed in that country.
At such a sensitive and crucial conjecture, the logical question to ask is what force is defending the Syrian regime and how the international community will be able to defuse that. One does not have to be a rocket scientist in order to disclose this “mysterious” power force that seems to be ready to defend Assad’s regime up to its last drops of blood. As everyone is fully aware, Iran is the main sole political force that will do whatever is possible in order to keep the Syrian regime in power. A recent visit by the commander of Iran’s elite Quds force to Damascus is the strongest sign yet that Iran is supplying weapons to aid Bashar Assad’s crackdown on the Syrian people, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday. While the U.S. has long believed Iran is helping drive the deadly crackdown on dissent in Syria, the official says the visit by Quds Force Commander Ghassem Soleimani provides a concrete example of direct high-level cooperation between Iran and Syria.
In order to understand the gravity of changing regimes in the Arab world and how it has affected Tehran’s interests in the huge mess, it is crucial once more to review the process of the Arab uprising since the flaming fire in Tunisia. While the Iranian government seems happy with regime changes in Tunisia and Egypt, there are many signs of concern and worry in Tehran. It was seemingly, in Iran’s view, the collapse of pro-U.S. governments in Egypt and Tunisia that were strong blows to U.S. influence in the region and a new “Islamic awakening,” but there are some other troubling factors. Iranian officials have frequently argued the U.S. and its allies seek to take advantage of the situation and the Arab nations must be vigilant and watchful, while they have made no mention of Syria, where Assad’s regime is struggling to contain opposition forces. It is obvious: The Arab Spring may be a victory for Sunni Muslim groups, and for that reason it should be viewed as a major concern for the Iranian regime.