Syrian Reactions to the Israel-Iran War

A Brief Overview

Unlike many Arab states that have issued condemnations of Israel’s preventative strikes against Iran as acts of aggression, Syria’s government has been conspicuously quiet on the matter so far, even as both sides have clearly made use of Syrian airspace in the exchange of fire. The likely reason for this official silence is that the government would have little to gain by issuing a statement condemning one side or the other or generically calling for ‘de-escalation.’ It is not on good terms with either the Israeli government (which has launched an incursion into parts of southern Syria) or the Iranian government (which supported the Assad regime and has tended to make hostile statements about the new Syrian government, seemingly suggesting that it should be overthrown). For the new government, it may be that the two sides’ fighting each other is seen as advantageous for Syria, distracting them from perceived meddling in Syria’s affairs.

However, the lack of an official statement by the government so far does not mean that Syrians are not following the conflict with interest. The reactions are themselves varied and this post will provide a brief overview.