The Role of Iran in the Syrian Conflict

 Soon after the Arab Spring shattered Arab politics in the early 2010s, Bashar al-Assad, who had replaced his father as the head of the Baath regime in Syria, has faced with a cohort of domestic, regional and international challenges that aimed to force him to leave the power. Iran has remained one of few international actors that have stood alongside the Assad administration. In this regard, Iran’s policies have varied from diplomatic support to the mobilization of militia forces and troop deployment in support of Assad. Since then Iran’s motivations for standing behind Assad have been questioned by many analysts. Arguments that were put forward to explain Iranian policy toward Syria during the crisis have been ranged from a hypothetical view of Iranian fear of encirclement by the hostile forces to a sectarian consolidation under the Shiite axis. This article asserts that Islamic Republican regime in Iran has a keen interest in maintaining a foothold in Syria, and circulated several complementary narratives to justify its involvement and role in the crisis. The article reviews those narratives in order to comprehend Tehran’s enduring support for the Assad administration, and examines the ways in which Iran supported Assad throughout the conflict.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354578987_The_Role_of_Iran_in_the_Syrian_Conflict