Published: May 22, 2008 Syria and Iran: Relationship at a Crossroads?
Syria is a secular state, run by the Baath Party; Iran is a Shiite theocracy. This split has not been significant enough to make the two countries overlook their individual shared political goals. The two countries share little ideologically and have been cooperating out of necessity. [1]
Historic and diplomatic relations
Iran is at the forefront of Jihadist Islam; Syria is the torch bearer of secular Arab nationalism. [2] By conventional wisdom, the two countries should be sworn enemies. However, Syria and Iran has found much common ground on a number of issues such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq [3], Lebanon and the United States. [4]
Israel and Syria said on May 21, 2008, they had launched indirect peace talks mediated by Turkish officials in Istanbul, the first confirmation of negotiations between the two neighbours in eight years. [5] An official in the Turkish Prime minister's office said: "It's a good beginning. We've reached an important phase." [6] The nations have "indicated they want to lead these negotiations in a serious spirit so as to reach a comprehensive peace agreement", a spokesman for Israel's prime minister, Ehud Olmert, said. [7]
Iran has placed itself in the forefront of the Arab-Muslim rejection of Israel´s right to exist - not on the grounds of Arab or Palestinian nationalism, but from a purely Islamic perspective, which negates the very right of a Jewish state to exist. [8] Syria´s traditional Baathist doctrine, while not negating Jewish nationalism as such, nevertheless negates the right of any ethnic group other than Arab to have its own state in the Middle East. [9] However, Bashar Assad, Syria´s president, and Ehud Olmert, Israel´s Prime Minister, both confirmed having maintained contact for a year, hours after it emerged that Turkey is mediating indirect peace talks between the countries. [10]
Both, Syria and Iran, were sworn enemies of the Saddam Hussein regime in Iraq. Syria backed Iran in its war with Iraq in the 1980s. [11] Iran and Syria established a "strategic alliance" in 1980 after Damascus, alone among all other Arab countries, took the side of non-Arab Tehran when it was attacked by Saddam Hussein, then Syria's staunchest enemy, due primarily to the bitter hostility between the two opposing factions of the Baath Party in power in Damascus and Baghdad. [12]
Lebanon has also been a meeting point of interests for the two countries. As of the early 70´s, the Assad regime threw in its lot with the emerging Shiite community in Lebanon. Iran has done so since the inception of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Iran rushed to help Syria by activating the Lebanese Hezbollah. [13] Lebanon has been a battleground for Syria in its struggle with Israel for decades. Syria was forced to withdraw its troops from Lebanon in 2005 under international pressure. [14]
This ongoing alliance served the two countries well in forcing Israel and the US out of Lebanon in the 80´s and more recently in the struggle of Hezbollah against the Siniora government. [15] Yet there seem to be "cracks in the wall" of common interests such as the war of 2006 between Israel and Hezbollah, the growing tension between Iran on the one hand and Israel and the United States on the other hand over Iran´s nuclear programme [16], Israel´s demolition of Syria´s nuclear reactor [17] and the assassination of Imad Mugniyeh [18] allegedly by Israel intelligence in Damascus.
Economic relations
The relationship between Iran and Syria has undergone fundamental changes with Iran holding the dominant position as its strength in the region has grown by Syria's has been compromised. [19]
Hezbollah receives some $100 million per year from Tehran, and its Iranian-supplied weaponry is transported through Syria to Hezbollah's stronghold in Lebanon's southeast. [20]
Syria has signed expanded military and economic agreements with Tehran covering everything from telecommunications projects to higher education. Syria will buy missiles from Iran. Iran will build cement and car plants in Syria. [21]
The draft treaty that Ahmadinejad brought to Syria in July 2007, completed the defence pact the two sides signed in June 2006. In that context, Iran was offering to train Syrian military personnel in Iran and a number of "academies" in Syria itself. The ultimate effect of such a programme would be the creation of a network of pro-Iranian officers throughout the Syrian military apparatus. [22]
In a March 2007 meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Al-Utri, Ahmadinejad stated, "Iran supports expanding cooperation with Syria... in all aspects, including industry, agriculture, science, technology, medicine, and energy." During this visit, Ahmadinejad's associate and senior advisor Parviz Daoudi signed a cooperation agreement with Al-Utri, containing 12 articles on issues such as electricity, agriculture, espionage technology, construction, housing, and sewerage. [23]
In March 2006, the two countries agreed to build a pipeline to carry Iranian oil through Iraq to Syria's Mediterranean ports. [24]
In a meeting in January 2008, Mohammad-Hassan Akhtari and Syrian Vice-President Faruq al-Shara stressed the necessity of close contact between Iranian and Syrian officials in order to foil enemies' conspiracies. [25]
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References:
[1] Pan, Esther: „Syria, Iran and the Mideast Conflict," Council on Foreign Relations, July 18, 2006, http://www.cfr.org/publication/11122/
[2] Talhami, Ghada Hashem: „Syria: Islam, Arab nationalism and the military," Middle East Policy, December 2001, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5400/is_200112/ai_n21482228
[3] „Middle East: Iran, Syria, U.S. Seek Common Ground On Iraq," Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, November 24, 2006, http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/11/3d1b50fd-4aee-45de-8b3b-6a10719c4479.html
[4] „Iran to aid Syria against threats," BBC Online, February 16, 2005, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4270859.stm
[5] Heller, Jeffrey; MacDonald, Alastair: „Israel and Syria reveal peace talks in Turkey," Reuters, May 21, 2008, http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2008-05-21T113515Z_01_L21581102_RTRUKOC_0_UK-ISRAEL-SYRIA.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=∩=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage3
[6] Bronner, Ethan; Bowley, Graham: „Israel holds indirect peace talks with Syria," International Herald Tribune, May 21, 2008, http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/21/africa/22mideast.php?page=2
[7] Walker, Peter: „Syria and Israel officially confirm peace talks," The Guardian, May 21, 2008, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/may/21/israelandthepalestinians.syria?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
[8] Fathi, Nazila: „Wipe Israel óff the map´Iranian say," International Herald Tribune, October 27, 2005, http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/10/26/news/iran.php
[9] Abu-Nasr, Donna: „Syria´s Baath Tries to Reform itself, But is it Going Far Enough?," The Journal of Turkish Weekly, June 13, 2005, http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=1305
[10] „Syria-Israel talks ´one year old´," AlJazeera, May 21, 2008, http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/DE156A80-4A58-42D5-985C-B1EC34BF0540.htm
[11] Naylor, Hugh: „Syria reportedly encourages Sunni insurgents," International Herald Tribune, October 7, 2007, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/07/news/syria.php
[12] Haeri, Safa: „Iran pulls Syria´s strings over Lebanon," Asia Times Online, March 8, 2005, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GC08Ak02.html
[13] Ibid.
[14] Oweis, Khaled Yacoub: „Syria defiant on Lebanon despite Arab summit," Reuters, March 26, 2008, http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL26302441.html
[15] Perry, Tom: „Beirut cabinet challenges Hezbollah, tension rises," Reuters, May 8, 2008, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L06877939.htm
[16] Ben-Meir, Alon: „Defusing Tension with Iran While Promoting Regional Stability," The Journal of Turkish Weekly, February 1, 2008, http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=2810
[17] Baldwin, Tom: „Syria´s secret: did North Korea help to build a nuclear plant?," Times Online, April 25, 2008, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3671892.ece
[18] Mahnaimi, Uzi; Jaber, Hala; Swain, Jon: „Israel kills terror chief with headrest bomb," Times Online, February 17, 2008, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article3382343.ece
[19] Slackman, Michael: „Wary of U.S.; Syria and Iran strengthen ties," International Herald Tribune, June 25, 2006, http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/25/africa/web.0625mideast.php
[20] Pan, Esther: „Syria, Iran and the Mideast Conflict," Council on Foreign Relations, July 18, 2006, http://www.cfr.org/publication/11122/
[21] Slackman, Michael: „Wary of U.S.; Syria and Iran strengthen ties," International Herald Tribune, June 25, 2006, http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/06/25/africa/web.0625mideast.php
[22] Taheri, Amir: „Iran is Trying to Exploit Syria," Gulf News, July 19, 2007, http://www.iran-press-service.com/ips/articles-2007/july-2007/iran_syria_20707.shtml
[23] Mansharof, Y.; Winter, O.: „The Strategic Alliance Between Iran and Syria - Military and Economic Aspects," MEMRI, August 14, 2007, http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA38007#_edn21
[24] Samii, Abbas William: „Syria and Iran: An Enduring Axis," Mideast Monitor, April/May 2006, http://www.mideastmonitor.org/issues/0604/0604_4.htm
[25] „Iran keeps economic ties with Syria," PressTV, January 3, 2008, http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=37312§ionid=351020101
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