Russia’s war in Ukraine jolts Iran, Syria and Middle East security
By Eric R. Mandel, THE HILL – 04/25/22
Russia’s war in Ukraine has serious repercussions for the Middle East — affecting, in particular, Iranian entrenchment in Syria and regional security for Israel and the United States.
In 2015, Iran’s Qassem Soleimani, then general of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, flew to Moscow to meet with Kremlin officials just weeks after the conclusion of the original Iran nuclear agreement, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). The goal was to change the course of Syria’s civil war, which looked bleak for their ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The meeting “forged a new Iranian-Russian alliance in support of Assad,” turning the course of the war in their favor. The successful outcome allowed Iran to move with confidence toward its primary objective: creating a vassal state in Syria, as it had in Lebanon with Hezbollah.






