Nabil Al Mulhem
Damascus
Albawaba.com
Syrian President Bashar Al Assad is planning to visit Iran in the coming few days for regional discussions, Syrian diplomatic sources told Albawaba.com Saturday.
Some Political observers have said that the new Syrian-Iranian relationship has come about because of the recent developments in South Lebanon following Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon. The pullback came as a result of a war waged against the occupying forces by Hizbollah which was supported both financially and logistically by Iran and Syria.
The observers add that the Israeli government has taken concerted steps to try and stop this new affiliation through Lebanese elements who don’t want this new relationship with their own government.
Sources close to the Iranian leadership told Albawaba.com that a military alliance between the two countries will be the main issue that will be discussed during Syrian President's visit to Tehran. Especially because observers say there is a real potential now of Israel waging a war against Syria through Lebanon in order to get out of its own domestic political crisis.
Meanwhile, on the Syrian-Iranian-Iraqi front, political analysts have noticed several important developments in the relationship between the three countries. Syria and Iran are looking for new markets, in the same way Iraq is looking for a breakthrough in the sanctions. In addition there could be huge benefits gained in the long run from an alliance between Syria and Iraq, who have had similar political ideologies and experience. However, observers add that this is not enough to create a coalition between the three countries, particularly after the election of the new American President George W. Bush, and designated secretary of state Collin Powel’s speech in which he said sanctions against Iraq will continue. This point will place an obstacle in the path of a three-way alliance between Syria-Iraq-Iran according to observers, who stress their belief that the Syrian visit will only tackle the issue of possible Israeli-Syrian confrontation and the Iranian role as a Syrian Ally.
But accordingly analysts see that the Syrian-Iranian diplomatic transformation will force the two countries to move forward and open up to Turkey following the Abdullah Ocalan issue which brought Syria and Turkey closer.
The Syrian-Turkish relations as well as the Iranian-Turkish relations well be on Assad’s agenda who is expected to travel to Turkey after his visit to Tehran to try and mend a relationship that has witnessed great tension in the past.
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