The Brewing Storm: Is Syria the Next Frontline in a Global Proxy War?
How Competing Powers Are Positioning for a High-Stakes Battle in the Middle East
For all its importance to geopolitical infighting, Syria has been a quiescent focus – until recently. That those key players – Iran, Russia, and China on one side; and Israel, Turkey and the United States on the other – are involved suggests an escalating struggle for influence over Middle East affairs. Syrian future hangs precariously in the balance as the jockeying of these powers for control looms on the horizon with crystal-strewn consequences for the region and much of the world.
A Battlefield for Influence
Recent reports show Iranian backed proxies in Syria increasingly joining the war effort thanks to partnerships with Russia and potentially China. Speaking to IRNA (2024), Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian Duma Defense Committee, said the Iranian delegations have communicated with members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which means there are deeper raels of collaboration between Tehran and Moscow in military and political affairs. The ties, fashioned in pursuit of a combined interest to check Western domination, are turning Syria into a staging ground for regional power plays.
