It was just after sunrise on April 7 when the news of an American missile attack on Syria reached Tehran. At first, information about what precisely transpired was limited, yet the attack was received in the Iranian capital as a message from Washington to all parties fighting along the forces of Syria’s defiant President Bashar al-Assad that the grace period given to all involved in the war-torn country by the United States had come to an end. In fact, the Syrian crisis seemed for a few months to have had some rules of engagement when it comes to major incidents like the one that occurred at the Shayrat air base near Palmyra, but this time the whole scene was a shock, given US President Donald Trump’s previous statements with regard to Syria and the region in general. As such, those in Tehran who spoke to Al-Monitor see the missile attack as closer to political maneuvering than a complete change in strategy.
“The American attack — though a military action — was a political move," a military source in the Syria allies joint command center — which brings together Russia, Iran and Hezbollah — told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. He said, “The US military informed the Russians before the strike. This gave them the chance to alert the Syrians, so both sides were able to evacuate the base before the attack. It was clear that there was no intention to kill but to send a message to the Russians.”
