06-19-2017, 09:51 PM
*** 20-Jun-17 World View -- Iran scores strategic victory in Syria with land route from Tehran to Mediterranean
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Iran scores strategic victory in Syria with land route from Tehran to Mediterranean
****
![[Image: g170619b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g170619b.jpg)
Iran's land route from Tehran to Mediterranean Sea, through Baghdad and Damascus (Guardian)
According to several reports, Iran has scored a major military victory
in the last few days by taking control of villages on the Iraq-Syrian
border in Deir az-Zour, and thus able to claim that they have control
of an entire route, or land bridge, connecting Tehran to the
Mediterranean Sea. The villages had been controlled by the so-called
Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh), and they were recaptured
by Syrian army forces in conjunction with the military operations to
expel ISIS from Raqqa.
As we reported two weeks ago, the US and Iran were headed for a military confrontation in Deir az-Zour,
as they competed to take control of the region in eastern Syria freed
up by the expulsion of ISIS. But apparently the achievement caught
the west by surprise. The Iraqi army's Iran-trained Popular
Mobilization Units (PMUs) raced from Mosul in Iraq to the Syrian
border just as Syrian army divisions reached the same border crossing
earlier this month, according to a pre-arranged plan between Iran and
the Syrian regime. This gave Iran control of the border crossing
before coalition forces could react.
This so-called land bridge is a lengthy, meandering 1,100 land route
through Iraq and Syria, as can be seen from the map above, and there
is a lot of skepticism that Iran controls the entire route in any
certain sense. So far as is known, no attempt has yet been made to
make use of the land route. Furthermore, even if Iran does control
the entire route, any convoys would be vulnerable to US or Israeli
airstrikes.
However, if the land bridge claim turns out to be true, it would be
significant strategic victory for Iran, because it would permit Iran
to supply its allies in Lebanon and Syria with weapons and rockets.
In light of this strategy, Iran's launch of seven missiles into ISIS targets in Deir az-Zour,
that
we reported yesterday, can be seen as having the two purposes: First
to support the capture of ISIS territory needed for the land bridge,
and second to warn Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel not to interfere,
as the next missiles could be launched in their direction.
This is not the end of the story. Americans, Russians, regime
Syrians, free Syrians, Kurds, Hezbollah and Iranians have all been
united in fight against ISIS in Raqqa and Mosul. Al Monitor and Al Araby (9-June) and New Yorker and News Deeply (8-June)
Related Articles
****
**** Russia warns US that its jets in western Syria will be treated as targets
****
Russia is demanding a full accounting from the United States military
on why it was necessary for the US military to shoot down a Syrian
regime Su-22 bomber on Sunday. As we reported yesterday,
the US issued a lengthy statement explaining
that the Syrian warplane was targeting Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
that are supported by the US in the military operation to recapture
Raqqa from ISIS.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that all coalition
jets and drones flying west of the Euphrates River will be tracked as
potential targets:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Any aircraft, including planes and drones belonging
> to the international coalition operating west of the Euphrates
> River will be tracked by Russian anti-aircraft forces in the sky
> and on the ground and treated as targets."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The Pentagon statement that we quoted yesterday said that "the
Coalition contacted its Russian counterparts by telephone via an
established ‘de-confliction line’ to de-escalate the situation and
stop the firing," referring to a hotline set up months ago between the
US and Russia to prevent accidental or unintended military clashes.
On Monday, Russia threatened to discontinue the de-confliction line,
although reports at the end of the day indicated that it was still
working.
There's a possibility that Russia is making threats for the benefit of
its Syrian and Iranian clients, but does not intend to follow through
on them, though this is not known if true.
As I've written many times, Generational Dynamics predicts that the
Mideast is headed for a major regional war, pitting Sunnis versus
Shias, Jews versus Arabs, and various ethnic groups against each
other. Generational Dynamics predicts that in the approaching Clash
of Civilizations world war, the "axis" of China, Pakistan and the
Sunni Muslim countries will be pitted against the "allies," the US,
India, Russia and Iran. Military Times and The Hill and Debka
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Deir az-Zour,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Raqqa, Mosul,
Russia, De-confliction line
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Iran scores strategic victory in Syria with land route from Tehran to Mediterranean
- Russia warns US that its jets in western Syria will be treated as targets
****
**** Iran scores strategic victory in Syria with land route from Tehran to Mediterranean
****
Iran's land route from Tehran to Mediterranean Sea, through Baghdad and Damascus (Guardian)
According to several reports, Iran has scored a major military victory
in the last few days by taking control of villages on the Iraq-Syrian
border in Deir az-Zour, and thus able to claim that they have control
of an entire route, or land bridge, connecting Tehran to the
Mediterranean Sea. The villages had been controlled by the so-called
Islamic State (IS or ISIS or ISIL or Daesh), and they were recaptured
by Syrian army forces in conjunction with the military operations to
expel ISIS from Raqqa.
As we reported two weeks ago, the US and Iran were headed for a military confrontation in Deir az-Zour,
as they competed to take control of the region in eastern Syria freed
up by the expulsion of ISIS. But apparently the achievement caught
the west by surprise. The Iraqi army's Iran-trained Popular
Mobilization Units (PMUs) raced from Mosul in Iraq to the Syrian
border just as Syrian army divisions reached the same border crossing
earlier this month, according to a pre-arranged plan between Iran and
the Syrian regime. This gave Iran control of the border crossing
before coalition forces could react.
This so-called land bridge is a lengthy, meandering 1,100 land route
through Iraq and Syria, as can be seen from the map above, and there
is a lot of skepticism that Iran controls the entire route in any
certain sense. So far as is known, no attempt has yet been made to
make use of the land route. Furthermore, even if Iran does control
the entire route, any convoys would be vulnerable to US or Israeli
airstrikes.
However, if the land bridge claim turns out to be true, it would be
significant strategic victory for Iran, because it would permit Iran
to supply its allies in Lebanon and Syria with weapons and rockets.
In light of this strategy, Iran's launch of seven missiles into ISIS targets in Deir az-Zour,
that
we reported yesterday, can be seen as having the two purposes: First
to support the capture of ISIS territory needed for the land bridge,
and second to warn Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel not to interfere,
as the next missiles could be launched in their direction.
This is not the end of the story. Americans, Russians, regime
Syrians, free Syrians, Kurds, Hezbollah and Iranians have all been
united in fight against ISIS in Raqqa and Mosul. Al Monitor and Al Araby (9-June) and New Yorker and News Deeply (8-June)
Related Articles
- US and Iran headed for military confrontation in Deir az-Zour in eastern Syria (09-Jun-2017)
- Israel and Syria have unprecedented missile clash over Jordan (19-Mar-2017)
- US and Iran-backed troops head for confrontation at al-Tanf on Iraq-Syria border (05-Jun-2017)
- US warplanes strike Syrian regime military convoy near al-Tanf base (19-May-2017)
****
**** Russia warns US that its jets in western Syria will be treated as targets
****
Russia is demanding a full accounting from the United States military
on why it was necessary for the US military to shoot down a Syrian
regime Su-22 bomber on Sunday. As we reported yesterday,
the US issued a lengthy statement explaining
that the Syrian warplane was targeting Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
that are supported by the US in the military operation to recapture
Raqqa from ISIS.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that all coalition
jets and drones flying west of the Euphrates River will be tracked as
potential targets:
> [indent]<QUOTE>"Any aircraft, including planes and drones belonging
> to the international coalition operating west of the Euphrates
> River will be tracked by Russian anti-aircraft forces in the sky
> and on the ground and treated as targets."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
The Pentagon statement that we quoted yesterday said that "the
Coalition contacted its Russian counterparts by telephone via an
established ‘de-confliction line’ to de-escalate the situation and
stop the firing," referring to a hotline set up months ago between the
US and Russia to prevent accidental or unintended military clashes.
On Monday, Russia threatened to discontinue the de-confliction line,
although reports at the end of the day indicated that it was still
working.
There's a possibility that Russia is making threats for the benefit of
its Syrian and Iranian clients, but does not intend to follow through
on them, though this is not known if true.
As I've written many times, Generational Dynamics predicts that the
Mideast is headed for a major regional war, pitting Sunnis versus
Shias, Jews versus Arabs, and various ethnic groups against each
other. Generational Dynamics predicts that in the approaching Clash
of Civilizations world war, the "axis" of China, Pakistan and the
Sunni Muslim countries will be pitted against the "allies," the US,
India, Russia and Iran. Military Times and The Hill and Debka
Related Articles
- US shoots down Syrian warplane, as Iran launches missiles into Syria (19-Jun-2017)
- Russia's policies thrown into confusion as US resumes its 'world policeman' role (09-Apr-2017)
- Jordan on alert as ISIS captures more Iraq border towns (23-Jun-2014)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Deir az-Zour,
Islamic State / of Iraq and Syria/Sham/the Levant, IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh,
Syrian Democratic Forces, SDF, Raqqa, Mosul,
Russia, De-confliction line
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
