Iran Threatens Payback on Syria; Russia Sends Warships
Iran and Russia are working together to prevent a Western military attack on Syria. Russia even sent warships to the Mediterranean where U.S. destroyers are in position to strike if ordered.
Military analysts said Syria’s allies’ options to stop the United States or make it pay a price after a strike are limited.
“The Russians can help Syria politically and diplomatically in the United Nations and provide supplies, but they’re not nearly as capable as they were at the end of the Cold War,” said Chris Harmer, an analyst at the Institute for the Study of War who worked on military plans for the Persian Gulf as a commander in the Navy.
Although Iran may want to retaliate, it usually does so through the Lebanese Shiite terror group Hezbollah, which “is task-saturated between helping (Bashar) Assad stay in power and protecting (Shiite) neighborhoods in Beirut from retaliatory car bombs,” Harmer said. “I don’t think Iran can run the risk of retaliating on their own.”
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