Iran is considering sending its military to Syria, but only if the Syrian government asks for help. This surprising statement came from Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, during an interview with the Qatari news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. He made these comments while traveling back from Türkiye earlier this week.
Araghchi made it clear that if Syria’s government requests Iran’s help, they would take the request seriously and could send troops. He also mentioned that Iran is working on plans to help calm the situation in Syria and might offer a solution to end the ongoing conflict there for good.
The situation in Syria has gotten much worse recently. Last week, militants from the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir-al-Sham (HTS), linked to al-Qaeda, along with other Islamist groups, launched a huge offensive in northern Syria. They attacked areas like Aleppo, Hama, and Homs, causing further chaos. This was part of an effort to take control of more land in Idlib province, which has been under Turkish protection since a ceasefire deal was made with Russia in 2020.
Iran believes that these terrorist groups could become a big threat to Syria’s neighbors, like Iraq, Jordan, and Türkiye. In fact, Araghchi said that Iran is more concerned about the spread of these groups harming its neighbors than itself.
Tensions with Turkey
At the same time, Iranian-Turkish relations are strained. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Türkiye recently warned the Syrian government that they need to address the situation or face more problems. However, Iran has its own demands. Araghchi said that before Iran’s president can meet with Erdogan, Turkish troops must leave Syria. Iran believes this is a reasonable request to help improve relations.
Iran is worried that if the Astana peace process falls apart, there won’t be any other good ways to solve the conflict. The Astana process, started in 2017, is an agreement between Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Russia to work together to bring peace to Syria.
Russia’s Role in the Conflict
Meanwhile, Russia is sticking to its support for Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad. Since 2015, Russia has had troops in Syria to help Assad fight against ISIS and other terrorist groups. Recently, Russia has carried out airstrikes in support of the Syrian army to push back against the militants who attacked last week.
As the conflict in Syria continues, it seems that Iran, Turkey, and Russia are all playing key roles in determining the future of the country. With tensions running high and no clear solution in sight, it remains to be seen how these nations will move forward and what kind of role Iran will play in the conflict.
