Following the so-called Arab Spring uprisings, Syria faced a civil war in which thousands of people were massacred.
Besides Iran, Russia, and the Hezbollah from Lebanon, which were already considered its allies, Bashar al-Assad’s government received support from Iraq. The United States, Europe, Israel and other Arab countries backed the anti-Assad forces.
Before the civil war started in Syria, Iran was the only country in the region – besides Syria – which stood in opposition to Israel. In 2006, Hezbollah, supported by Iran, had defeated the Israeli army in fighting that lasted several days. That was an unprecedented victory. A paramilitary force consisting of only a few hundred troops was not expected to defeat an army like that of Israel, which is equipped with the world’s most up-to-date and modern technology, ammunition and air force support. For Israel, the wound never healed. During the fighting, Syria had backed Hezbollah.
After transitioning to democracy, Iraq, too, became an Iranian ally. This was unacceptable to Israel. Israel calculated that installing an anti-Iranian regime in Syria could disrupt Iran’s land access to Israel.
Several Arab states have been hostile to Iran since the 1979 revolution fearing that it could inspire similar revolutions against their monarchies.
Also, the oil-rich regions in Saudi Arabia have a significant Shia population. A majority of the population in Bahrain, which is a neighbor of Saudi Arabia, is also Shia. To the south, Zaidi Shias make up the Houthi group in Yemen.
Syria under Bashar al-Assad has been an ally of the Hezbollah and Iran. Russia agreed to join the fight against rebels to sever their ties to extremists in Russia. Russia also wanted to regain the influence it had had in the Middle East during the Cold War.
In 2006, Hezbollah, supported by Iran, had defeated the Israeli army in fighting that lasted several days. That was an unprecedented victory
Hassan Nasrallah, the Hezbollah leader, issued a statement saying that he would himself go to Syria to fight if the need arose.
Many Iranians went to Syria and were killed. Russia also saw many of its soldiers killed. Hezbollah too faced a large number of casualties. The other side had a large investment in the war but the allies were unwilling to commit troops.
Another problem arose when a large number of extremist groups were seen flourishing in the war. Members of the ISIS and Al-Qaeda were seen moving from all over the world to Syria. This caused public opinion in the West to change significantly. A shift in state policies followed. It became clear that if Bashar al-Assad’s government was to fall, Al-Qaeda and the ISIS would get a foothold and Syria would come to resemble Afghanistan.
The international powers accordingly changed their policy and support to the anti-Assad factions stopped. Over time, Bashar al-Assad’s government regained control over most of the territory.
An important development has been the Kurd situation. Initially, the fighting in Syria was defined in terms of sects. The situation changed when Kurds refused to fight Bashar al-Assad regime and started fighting against the anti-Assad forces instead. As most of the Kurds are Sunnis, the sectarian definition lost out. It was also pointed out that in Bashar al-Assad’s army, a majority of soldiers are Sunnis.
Also, President Donald Trump who took over power in the US, was against a US intervention in Syria. Immediately after he came into power, he announced that the US involvement in Syria would be reduced. The withdrawal of US troops from the area is now almost complete.
There is no doubt that Bashar al-Assad’s government and its allies have emerged as winners.
The Muslim countries should talk about unity among Muslims, putting aside their sectarian and ethnic differences. Turkey can play an important role in this regard.
The writer is a freelancer