Middle East

As Russia Redraws the Map in Syria, Putin and Iran Are Left With One Major Disagreement

19/12/2017

Russian diplomacy in Syria is not seen as likely to yield a peace deal, while Putin and Iranian leaders differ on how best to deal with Syria’s armed Kurds

With the map of Syria’s conflict decisively redrawn in President Bashar al-Assad’s favor, his Russian allies, Iran included, want to convert military gains into a settlement that stabilises the shattered nation and secures their interests in the region – a prospect the Israeli government strongly objects to.

A year after the opposition’s defeat in Aleppo, government forces backed by Russia and Iran have recovered large swathes of territory as Islamic State’s “caliphate” collapses.