Analysis: Regional Geopolitical Upheaval as the Israel-US War against Iran Expands

On the 11th day of the Israeli-U.S. war against Iran, strikes across the region remain unabated, hostilities have expanded to Azerbaijan and Turkey, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have intensified, and Iraq seems to be dangerously veering towards further instability. Iran has chosen as the supreme leader the son of the slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, a hardline figure. U.S. President Donald Trump has sent mixed signals; on March 6 he said that there would be no deal with Iran except “unconditional surrender,” but on Tuesday he told CBS that the war “is very complete.” Washington has also suggested that the U.S. will  back Iranian Kurdish militias to overthrow the Iranian regime. As the region is dragged into a geopolitical upheaval, the prospects for an end to hostilities seem to fade, complicating Syria’s delicate balancing act of remaining on the sidelines – especially if hostilities continue to engulf Lebanon, further drag Turkey and Iraq into the conflict, and strain Gulf economic support for Damascus.