Azerbaijan, Baku, July 29 / Trend U. Sadikhova /
Although improvement of relations with the USA is advantageous for Syria economically, Damascus is unlikely to agree to reduce partnership with Iran as it will be slackening of Syrian positions on Middle East, experts said.
Relations between Syria and the USA broken five years ago entered news development stage after Washington announces about return of ambassador to Damascus and visit of special envoy on Middle East of Barack Obama's administration George Mitchell to Syria last week.
After Mitchell was appointed this position in January, first he paid visit to Damascus. During press-conference he said that the USA "wants Syria to help in Palestinian-Israeli talks," Al Jazeera said.
Before George Bush's administration criticized Syria's participation in peace process due to support of Palestinian Resistance Movement - Hamas and Hezbollah Lebanese party by Syrian leadership, as well as close strategic relations with Iran accused of nuclear weapon development by Washington. Hamas and Hezbollah are recognized as terror organizations in the USA and several European countries.
Mitchell's statements were Washington's first signal towards Damascus's government considered by Europe and the USA as key factor in peace process on Middle East.
After appointment of ambassador to Syria in July, Barack Obama said that Syria can play important role in armistice in the region but did not indicate which one.
Return of ambassador was the first action towards improvement of U.S-Syrian relations broken in 2005 after accusation of high-ranking Syrian officials of murder former Lebanese Prime-Minister Rafiq al-Hariri opposing Syrian impact in the country.
The USA also imposed economic sanctions on Syria. But during talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Mitchell spoke about reduction of sanctions, especially, limitations on export of highly technological equipment.
But despite economic profit for Syria from improvement of relations with the USA, as well as opportunity to participate in Palestinian-Israeli talks, observers doubt that Damascus for the sake of it will agree to reduce partnership with Iran.
Relations with Iran are differentiated from those with western countries in Syria unlike western nations and the USA.
First, Iranian-Syrian union is strategic union that is not connected with Israeli war in the region or Syrian relations with other countries in the region, head of Damascus center of international research, Samir Altagi said.
Relations between Iran and Syria strengthened after Islamic revolution in Iran in 1979 amid Syrian political isolation by pro-western Arabic countries and the USA. First, Syrian-Iranian partnership was aimed against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and Golan Heights.
Militarized movements Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah managed to strengthen in the region to resist Israel due to military and financial support of both countries.
Moreover, one of leading Hamas leaders Khaled Meshaal lives in Syria. He heads political bureau of movement.
Despite Israeli requirements to cease relations with Iran and radical groups, Syrian leadership said that Israel must first return Golan Heights but then lay down terms on armistice.
British analyst on Syrian policy, Neil Quilliam said the resolution of the Syrian-Israeli impasse has never been contingent upon the Syrian regime's relationship with Iran
"Syria and Israel are concentrated on solving bilateral territorial problems (Golan Heights) but not broader regional issues," head of Middle East editorial office of London Control Risk Centre, Quilliam, told Trend by E-mail.
Quilliam said that Syrian regime is the regime is unlikely to risk downgrading its relationship with Iran over Palestinian-Israeli talks as the USA is willing. Armistice of Palestinians and Israelis is secondary for Damascus in policy in the region.
"The Syrian regime will continue to prioritise peace talks with Israel over it engagement in Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Whilst important, the Syrian regime considers Palestinian-Israeli peace talks to be of secondary importance"- Quilliam believes.
"Syria will likely to use talks (Palestinian-Israeli) as ground to increase pressure on Hamas and Islamic Jihad. But it will require more non-direct aid of Iran, Quilliam said.
Despite president Bashar al-Assad is willing to engage with the Obama administration and will be called upon to make a number of concessions, as a precursor to improving relations and recovering its position within region, he is unlikely downgrade relations with Iran, Quilliam said.
"The two countries [Syria and Iran] have developed a level of trust over their 30-year history, which not only permeates the presidencies, but also the military, intelligence and scientific establishments, which cannot be emulated by the nascent Syrian-US relationship," Quilliam said.
He believes the Syrians will always view with US government with a degree of suspicion and will continue to rely upon its much trusted Iranian ally for strategic depth, financial, military and political support for the foreseeable future.
Israeli observers believe that Syria's participation in the negotiations with the Palestinians could be a mistake of the United States, because then Israel would have to make concessions in the peace process, which will be a blow to the country's security, the Israeli press media reports.
Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in spring that it was impossible for Syria to return the Golan Heights, because it could become a springboard for attacks on Israel and the transport of arms to Palestinian groupings.
Even if Syria breaks relations with Iran and stops supporting Hamas and Hezbollah, it is unlikely to say this openly, Leading Analyst of the Israeli Institute for National Security Studies, Shlomo Brom told Trend .
However, Syrian Analyst al-Tagi considers Syria's relations with Washington apart from the Syrian-Iranian Union.
"Syria will never build a relationship with the West through its regional and strategic allies," al-Tagi told Trend in a telephone conversation from Damascus. "Iran also wants to improve relations with the West, but everything depends on the steps that the West will take to advance a truce in the region."
He believes Syria and Iran weigh their policy regarding the U.S. and European policy in the Middle East, as well as the Israeli position in the peace process.
However, Syria is hardly going to reduce cooperation with Iran for rapprochement with the United States, as this may lead to weakening the political influence of Damascus in the Middle East.
Former member of the Syrian-Israeli negotiations in 1990s, Brom believes that regardless of Damascus's wishes, if Syria wants to further close with the United States, which promises great economic benefits, the need for a close partnership with Iran will disappear.
Iran also believes that Syria's rapprochement with the United States will lead to separation from Iran, especially on the backdrop of the political crisis.
Observers pointed out that the political clashes in Iran after the June presidential elections hit on the strategy of Hezbollah and the Syrian Government.
Iranian Analyst on International Relations, Davoud Hermidas-Bavand considers the US-Syrian rapprochement as a chance for Syria to get rid of the U.S. sanctions, imposed because of Damascus's support for Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, but then the Syrian leadership will be forced to move away from Iran
"Syria has been able to acquire its influence in the region thanks to Iran's support, as well as a rigid position toward Israel," Professor of the Political Science at the Tehran University, Hermidas-Bavand told Trend over a telephone. "If the [Bashar] al-Assad closes with the United States, he will lose its influence in the region, but at the same time gain a new economic and political ally as the United States that meets the national interests of Syria."
The Syria-Iran relations which are apposed by the pro-Western Arab countries, particularly Saudi Arabia and Egypt, have been further strengthened after Damascus's support for Iran in the 8-yeareight Iran-Iraq war in 1980s, as well as support for Tehran's participation in the Middle East peace process.
Sunni Arab leaders believe that Syria's supporting the Shiite Iranian leadership gives Tehran a greater chance to interfere in the peace process between Arabs and Israelis. Iran considers inadmissible the recognition of Israel by Arab countries in case of an independent Palestinian state.
Syria's support for Hamas armed resistance led to a conflict between Damascus and the Palestinian Authority of the West Bank, being against Tehran in the region.
D.Khatinoglu contributed to this article.
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