Publication

Regarding Syria, the US’ key aims include constraining Iran and the attainment of conditions that would enable American troops to return home. This paper contends that the complex ties between Iran and Russia provide an opportunity to further these and other US objectives in the region. Indeed, the text’s author suggests that there is enough daylight between Moscow and Tehran for this task. However, Washington needs to maintain a properly resourced military presence in Syria for now. Only by doing so can the US use the existing gap between Russia and Iran, and potentially widen it by convincing Moscow that Washington constitutes the main counterweight to Tehran.