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With the American Departure from Syria, Will Iran Expand Its Land Corridor to Hizbullah?

(Israel Hayom) Col. (ret.) Dr. Ephraim Kam - The Iranians have no good military answer to Israeli strikes on its forces and allies in Syria. Russia is also liable to act to end or limit their activities in an effort to prevent an all-out confrontation between Israel and Iran that will endanger Syria's rehabilitation. Iran seeks a land corridor to Syria and Lebanon that passes through Iraq in order to transfer weapons to the Revolutionary Guards and Shiite militias, in particular, Hizbullah. But the land corridor plan went partially awry as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Although a few small convoys have apparently passed through the corridor, the Iranians have in large part preferred to move freight by air. With the Americans' departure from Syria, the Iranians will likely decide to expand their use of the corridor. Yet the change will not likely be so far-reaching. American attacks on Iranian forces and Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq were relatively rare. Almost all of the air strikes on Iranian targets in Syria were carried out by the Israeli Air Force, who exposed the Iranian military's weaknesses and made it difficult for Tehran to establish a military outpost in Syria. Israel will continue to strike Iranian targets in Syria as necessary, and rightfully so. The writer, who served in the Research Division of IDF Military Intelligence, is a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies at Tel Aviv University.
2018-12-26 00:00:00
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