Q&A
Aaron David Miller, Karim Sadjadpour, Robin Wright
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Source: Getty
In The Media
Syria is a Zero-Sum Game for Iran
The perpetuation of the Assad regime is critical to Iran's efforts to maintain its regional influence, and Tehran has demonstrated it will do whatever it can to aid Assad and his regime.
Published on Aug 19, 2012
Source: C-SPAN's Washington Journal
Speaking on CSPAN’s Washington Journal, Carnegie's Karim Sadjadpour explained that the alliance between Iran and Syria has been critical to the Assad regime’s efforts to maintain power during the on-going uprising in Syria. Although the alliance is not based on cultural, sectarian, or ethnic affinities, Iran and Syria have been stalwart strategic allies dating back to 1980. For Iran, “Syria has been its most consistent global ally and provides an important strategic geographic link to Hezbollah," noted Sadjadpour. The Iranian regime also “has repression down to a science and is sharing their tactics in this regard with the Assad regime,” he added. For Iran, the perpetuation of the Assad regime is critical in maintaining its regional influence, and Iran has demonstrated it will do whatever it can to aid Assad and his repressive regime, Sadjadpour concluded.
About the Author
Karim Sadjadpour
Senior Fellow, Middle East Program
Karim Sadjadpour is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on Iran and U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.
- What’s Keeping the Iranian Regime in Power—for Now
- How Washington and Tehran Are Assessing Their Next StepsQ&A
Aaron David Miller, David Petraeus, Karim Sadjadpour
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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