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Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=19613
Russia and Iran Are the Winners in Syria
(Israel Hayom) Prof. Eyal Zisser - The seven-year civil and jihadist war in Syria, that has destroyed much of the country, is approaching its end. The fighting is winding down thanks to cease-fire deals brokered by Moscow and implemented throughout the country, including along the Israeli-Syrian border on the Golan Heights. Thanks to Russia's military might, but also to the weakness of the rebel allies, the Russians have successfully quelled the revolt against Assad. Russia is the big winner in Syria, with its military forces deployed throughout the country. But the Russians wouldn't have gotten as far as they have without Iran. After all, it wasn't the Russian planes that determined the outcome - it was the Iranians and their allies, Shiite militias and Hizbullah fighters. It's a profitable deal for Iran: rather than positions along the border with Israel, the Iranians will get a port on the Syrian coast and an entire military setup from Damascus to the Iraqi border. The writer, vice rector at Tel Aviv University, is former director of its Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.