Two drones attacked the US Army base at al-Tanf, in southeastern Syria, today. US defense officials indicated that no one was hurt, but in fact there were minor injuries. An Iraqi militia backed by Iran, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, claimed responsibility.
Al-Tanf is small but strategic. It is near the borders with
Iraq and Jordan, and it lies on the main road from Baghdad to Damascus.
Militias use the road to move Iranian arms from Iraq to the Hezbollah terrorists
in southern Lebanon, which borders Syria on the east as well as
Israel. Hezbollah dominates Lebanon politically as well as militarily and is
financed by its Shiite ally, Iran.
It is in the interest of Iran and Russia to goad the US into
leaving Syria without going so far as war. Both Iran and Russia want to extend
their regional influence at American expense, but for different reasons. Iran
wants to disrupt the lockhold of Sunni nations surrounding it as well as to divert
Iranians from its gasping economy and brutal suppression of women’s rights. Russia wants to regain the global power that
it lost in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Towards those ends, Iranian-backed militias harass al-Tanf as well as the US post in northeastern Syria. This post
ostensibly protects Syrian oilfields from the Islamic State terrorists bent
upon setting up their own state. Russian
pilots buzz al-Tanf and photograph it.
The real story is a bit more complex. The gas and oil fields in northeastern Syria, as well as the water aquifers, are not controlled by Damascus. They are in a province that won some independence away from President Bashar al-Assad in a civil war that began in 2011. The Arab tribes that populate the province regard the gas, oil, and water as their own. Assad begs to disagree. He would like to retake these precious resources but lacks the troops. So he relies on his allies, Iran and Russia, to do his dirty work.
The Russians have
been meeting with tribes in Deir ez-Zour Province that are willing to cooperate with Assad, according to a Syrian opposition news site, North Press Agency. These tribes have rarely challenged the Americans directly but
instead oppose the coalition that the US set up in 2014. The purpose of the
Syrian Democratic Forces is to fight the Islamic State and, to be frank, Assad.
This coalition is led by Kurds, whom Syrian Arabs have long despised.
Last summer, al-Tanf began training Kurdish recruits with the probable purpose of strengthening the Syrian Democratic Forces in fighting Assad, who is losing power because of the collapsing economy. Iran has countered with drone attacks by its proxies.
In addition, the US has beefed up its forces in
the region to protect Israel from Hezbollah and Hamas. This can stymie Iran’s
campaign for regional influence. Today’s attack on al-Tanf was probably a message to the Americans.
“I warn the US and its proxy Israel that if they do
not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything
is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control,” said Iran’s foreign
minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in Tehran Sunday, according to BBC.
For helpful comments, I thank, but do not implicate, Annabel
Benson and Mark Kennet. – Leon Taylor,
Baltimore, tayloralmaty@gmail.com
References
Malin Muhammad. Russia, Iran mobilize tribes against SDF in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor (npasyria.com) . North Press Agency. September 2, 2023
Lawrence Richard. Iran-backed militias in Iraq claim responsibility for attack on US military base in Syria | Fox News . October 23, 2023.
Nikita Smagin. Forgotten Front: Why Syria Is Becoming a Headache for Russia - The Moscow Times . October 23, 2023.
Jared Szuba. Washington warns Iran as doubts grow about Israel's abilities in Gaza war - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East . October 23, 2023.
Joby Warrick and Evan Hill. Iran looks to escalate attacks against U.S. troops in Syria, documents show - The Washington Post . June 1, 2023.
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