By Vestnik Kavkaza
The prevention of military intervention in Syria and a political settlement of the conflict may become the main topics for discussion at the meeting of Russian and Iranian Presidents Vladimir Putin and Hassan Rouhani at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization hosted by Bishkek on September 13. According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iran has evidence of the Syrian opposition using chemical weapons. “In December 2012 we received information that two capsules containing sarin were moved by terrorists in Syria. The capsules were moved from one of the Arab states,” Abdollahian said at a meeting with Russian diplomats.
He gained support from demonstrators on Smolenskaya Square. “Russia wants to coordinate actions with Iran for Syria, to prevent a catastrophic situation in the region… Soon, the new Iranian president will have a top-level meeting in Bishkek. Sergey Lavrov will visit Bishkek too, I presume your minister will accompany the president,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told his Iranian counterpart.
Many experts have a common opinion that the final goal of the US attacks planned in Syria is Iran.
Sergey Ivanov, an advisor to the president from the Russian Diplomatic Academy, said: “We can certainly assume that the Americans are so persistent in pushing their military scenario through that Syria does not bother them, they decided that it was a good moment to get Iran involved and test its ability to react to military aggression. We can certainly assume so. Meanwhile, it was allegedly worked out that Tehran lacked nuclear weapons and there was still time to test Iran in military terms to see its reaction and, if possible, weaken its military and political potential in the Arab world. Syria, as is known, has been and remains the only leading Iranian ally in the Middle East.”
Vladimir Yevseyev, Director of the Center for Socio-Political Studies, observes the problem through the lenses of global repercussions: “What is so captivating about the Syrian crisis? Who pays the money! If the US fights in Syria for money from Saudi Arabia, it is purely mercenary. Does it mean that the US has become a mercenary of the Saudis? Can you imagine that? It just does not make sense. On the other hand, if a state offers such money, do you really think there are no demands for that? The US will have to realize the national interests of others there. Can you believe how low one has to fall to start a war somewhere for someone else’s money? What may happen as a result? As a result, countries start thinking about their existence in a system that was destroyed. In this case, Russia should consider forming an alliance with China. Because it may happen. But it becomes a basis for a multi-polar world and can be followed by distribution of spheres of influence. Because the US is pushing others towards what they fear the most. What they fear most is a multi-polar world and pushing Russia in the direction of China. I believe that this is the most serious repercussion of the total destabilization that may happen in the Middle East.”
According to Yevseyev, Tehran will offer Damascus any available military aid, including transferring units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards and carrying out sabotage operations against the US and their allies on the occupied territories of Syria. Iran is the only regional ally that has supported Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since the very start of the civil war. Just like Russia and China, the Iranian authorities speak out against military intervention by the West in the Syrian conflict. In the words of Yevseyev, “by encouraging the active involvement of Iran in the Syrian confrontation, the US will make it expand far beyond a confrontation of coalitions within Syria.”
