Gaza war to consolidate US foothold in Syria – Expert
WASHINGTON, Syria (North Press) – The war in Gaza and the subsequent ongoing attacks against US forces in Syria will not compel the US army to withdraw, said Abdullah Hayek, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Studies.
Hayek told North Press that these attacks will only solidify the US foothold, adding that the US will respond to any attacks to prevent Iran from exerting control over Syria through its militias.
The Middle East is experiencing security tensions following the escalation in the Gaza Strip, as US bases in Syria, Iraq, and at the Red Sea have been repeatedly targeted. The Pentagon has attributed these attacks to Iran-backed militias.
Hayek warned that if The Sons of Jazira and Euphrates Movement, a local militia in Syria’s Deir ez-Zor fighting against the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), evolves into a prominent Iranian militia, it could trigger a fresh wave of conflict and escalation in Syria.
In late August, areas controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in eastern Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, faced attacks from armed groups linked to the Syrian government and Iran. Prior to these incidents, documents emerged indicating a collaborative scheme involving Iran, Russia, and Syria with the objective of expelling the US from Syria.
US forces in Syria are deployed in several bases in the east and in al-Tanf base in the south as part of the mission to defeat the Islamic State (ISIS). They have been fighting alongside the SDF for years, and together they ended ISIS reign in Syria.
The Sons of Jazira and Euphrates Movement emerged immediately after the events in Deir ez-Zor. It is led by Ibrahim al-Hefl, a prominent figure from the al- Uqaydat tribe who gained recognition through mobilizing locals and advocating for fighting against the SDF.
In a previous statement in September, the Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister of Syria, Faisal Mekdad, expressed his support for this movement, and said that it is a movement aimed at combating the SDF and the “US occupation forces.”
Hayek pointed out that Iran has a significant ambition to expand its influence in Syria through Sunni militias and armed groups, not just Shiite ones, who can fight and work in Iran’s favor. This has led to the formation of what is known as the Sons of the Jazira and Euphrates Movement.
Hayek further stated that since 2017, there has been a convergence of efforts between the Syrian government and various armed groups in eastern Syria to combat the SDF and target the US presence in the region with the support of Iran.
He noted that they have also actively sought to inflame regional and nationalist sentiments in the area, specifically against the US.
Hayek concluded that the security and political conditions in Syria are alarming, particularly if the threats posed by Iran and its militias against the US forces in the region escalate, as has been witnessed during the recent conflict in Gaza.