|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.jns.org/why-the-fall-of-assad-is-a-net-gain-for-israel-despite-risks/
Why the Fall of Assad Is a Net Gain for Israel
(JNS) Yaakov Lappin - From an Israeli security perspective, the collapse of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime represents a net strategic gain. Iran invested tens of billions of dollars and over a decade of effort into smuggling advanced weaponry and deploying tens of thousands of Shi'ite militia operatives in Syria. Those efforts have now been wasted. After Israel's military achievements against Hamas and Hizbullah, Assad's collapse in Syria has delivered another major defeat to Iran's regional aspirations. The Assad regime was one of the central pillars of Iran's plan to achieve regional hegemony. Tehran set up weapons production centers on Syrian soil, which nourished not only Hizbullah but also tens of thousands of Shi'ite militiamen stationed in Syria. While Israel will have to closely monitor Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Syrian National Army - a nationalist rebel coalition backed by Turkey, when stacked against the capabilities of the Iranian-led Shi'ite axis, these Sunni rebels represent a far weaker force, with fewer advanced capabilities and a limited focus that remains largely confined to Syrian territory, at least for the near future. The writer, a military affairs correspondent, is a research associate at the Miryam Institute and the Alma Center.