Iran States Its "Strong Backing" For Assad and Alawite Regime in Syria Against Largely Sunni Rebels

Meeting Between Iran and Syria in Damascus

In a recent visit to the Middle East by Iran's powerful national security adviser Saeed Jalili, the sectarian splits between Sunnis and Shiites in the Middle East were clearly in full view.  According to a recent article in the UK's Guardian newspaper, Jalili indicated strong support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and essentially (and most ridiculously I might add) blamed the US and Israel for "warmongering".  I personally find this insulting to Syrian resistance, which started purely from the grassroots as a protest against the Assad regime.

Jalili talked about the "axis of resistance" which opposed the US and Israel.  This axis of resistance is comprised of Shiite Iran, Shiite Hezbollah, and the Alawite/Shiite regime in Syria.  As I pointed out in an earlier post, simply taking a brief look at which outsiders support Assad versus who supports the rebels is telling.  My argument is as follows:  Whatever language both sides use, the unfortunate fact is that the conflict has disintegrated into just another chapter of the ancient Sunni-Shia rivalry in the Middle East.

Supporters of Assad

1. Hezbollah
2. Iran

Providing funding and support to the largely Sunni rebels in Syria

1. Saudia Arabia
2. Qatar
3. Turkey

Here is the Guardian article I referenced, and here is a video of the Iranian Jalili-Syrian Assad meeting.