Iran Outmaneuvers U.S. in the Syrian Proxy War

June 5 (Bloomberg) -- Syria’s uprising offered thepossibility of a strategic defeat of Iran. In this scenario,Iran would be weakened by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’sregime, its single Arab ally and a vital link to Lebanon’sHezbollah militia. Isolated, Iran would become more vulnerableto international pressure to limit its nuclear program. And asIran’s regional influence faded, those of its rivals -- U.S.allies Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia -- would expand.

Instead, events in Syria are spinning in Iran’s favor.Assad’s regime is winning ground, the war has made Iran morecomfortable in its nuclear pursuits, and Iran’s gains haveembarrassed U.S. allies that support the Syrian uprising. What’smore, Iran has strengthened its relationship with Russia, whichmay prove to be the most important strategic consequence of theSyrian conflict, should the U.S. continue to sit it out.