Iran hunkers down in Syria after Caesar Act sanctions
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says it has no backup plan and is not leaving Syria.
The United States, Israel and Iran all seem set to continue their roles in the fight in Syria. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force, which largely determines Iran’s Syria strategy, is keeping the heat on Iran President Hassan Rouhani to maintain Iran’s focus on its commitments there, despite pressure and attacks from the United States and Israel.
Last week the United States introduced sanctions under the Caesar Act “to compel the government of Assad to halt its murderous attacks on the Syrian people and to support a transition to a government in Syria that respects the rule of law, human rights, and peaceful coexistence with its neighbors,” as US Syria envoy James Jeffrey explained.
The sanctions, which come as the Syrian economy is already reeling, send a signal to the Arab world that Washington will not tolerate any normalization with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government, and to Iran that its "maximum pressure" policy extends to Syria.
Israel has no plans to let up its own military pressure campaign. Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-linked military positions around Syria continue, often targeting convoys carrying weapons and new military technology to Israel’s arch-enemy Hezbollah.
