A Loud Message to Washington

TEHRAN (FNA)- On Monday, for the first time Syrian President Bashar al-Assad paid a surprise visit to Iran.

During his stay, the Syrian president met with Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani and other top officials.

It goes without saying that the goal was to thank Tehran for its support in the Syrian war. 

However, the main aim was to show that Iran and Syria, beside their allies, will guard the ‘Axis of Resistance’, come what may. It also sent a clear message to Washington that Damascus will never break ties with Tehran and that Iran will never leave Syria in its war against terrorism and extremism. 

This is an important message, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo keeps saying that US forces will work with allies to “expel every last Iranian boot” from Syria. He also says there will be no US money for reconstruction of Syria, and that reinstated US sanctions against Iran are “the strongest in history and will keep getting tougher.”

First of all, Iran has no military bases in Syria but military advisers. They are there at the invitation of the Syrian government and will surely leave the moment Damascus says so.

In addition, Damascus has flatly dismissed US call for a withdrawal of Iranian forces from Syria. On the face of it, in Syria’s seven-year-old conflict, Iran has provided vital support to the army and government in their fight against terrorist groups, including ISIL and Al-Qaeda. Iranian forces and Lebanon’s Hezbollah helped Damascus claw back control of major cities and towns from militants and terrorists with a helping hand from Russian airpower. That explains why President Assad says “Whether Iranian forces or Hezbollah withdraw or stay in Syria is not up for discussion because it’s the business of the Syrian government.”

Last but not the least, per international law, Washington cannot claim Iran’s counter-terrorism activities can’t be allowed to continue in Syria, much less threaten that the US is prepared to act unilaterally and impose “the strongest sanctions in history” on Iran unless it takes dramatic steps. 

What is true is that Iran has no cutthroat strategy in Syria with the sole purpose to turn the country into a permanent client state to serve its so-called malign interests. Unlike what the US, Israel and Saudi Arabia would like to suggest, Tehran is not building a land bridge from Iran to the Mediterranean Sea to threaten Israel and the entire Middle East. 

It’s in fact the ambitious plan by war-party Washington and company to draw a new Middle East map that threatens to destabilize the region. An Iran pull-out from Syria or disengagement from regional issues makes the likelihood of it happening so much more real.

Iran understands the consequences of disengagement. It will create a vacuum that terrorists - including ISIL and Al-Qaeda - would instantly fill. Iran’s enemies are waiting at the gates, ready to fill its place. There is no doubt that without a solid military support from Iran, Syria’s ability to counter terrorist groups would be put at severe risk. It would be a catastrophic blow to regional peace and stability - and a major strategic victory for terrorists and their patrons.