Reuters: Israel convinces the US to keep Russian military bases in Syria

Israel is persuading the US to keep Russian military bases in Syria to keep the country weak and decentralized. This is how Israel wants to combat Turkeyʼs growing influence in the region.

Reuters writes about this.

According to Israel, Turkeyʼs influence in Syria threatens its security. Therefore, Tel Aviv is convinced that the Russian presence in Syria should be maintained. In February, Israeli representatives presented their arguments to the US authorities, but Washingtonʼs reaction remained ambiguous.

American officials have tried to convince the Israelis that Turkey, as a NATO member, could become a more reliable guarantor of Israelʼs security. However, Tel Aviv representatives disagreed, emphasizing that Turkeyʼs strengthening in Syria allegedly creates additional risks for the region. Israel fears that the growth of Turkish influence could lead to destabilization of the situation and increased threats to their country.

The Russian naval base in Tartus and the Hmeimim air base are still operating in Syria. In 2017, Russia received a 49-year lease on them, and despite the change of government in Syria, the status of these facilities has remained unchanged.

These bases have given Moscow influence in the Middle East and Africa. Losing these facilities would be a strategic setback for it as Russia continues to escalate with the US and its European allies.

Turkey opposes Moscowʼs continued military presence in Syria, and doubts remain that the new Syrian government will allow Russia to remain at bases after Russian warplanes attacked opposition forces during the countryʼs civil war.

The overthrow of the Assad regime in Syria

The Syrian opposition entered the Syrian capital, Damascus, on December 8, 2024, and overthrew the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, who had been in power for 24 years. Assad himself fled to Moscow.

Syrian rebels are forming a transitional government — it is headed by Muhammad Bashir, who led the "Salvation Government" — a political structure created in 2017 in territories controlled by the Syrian opposition, primarily in the province of Idlib.

The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel group and de facto leader of Syria, Ahmad al-Sharaa (better known as Muhammad al-Julani), has said that the country is exhausted by war and poses no threat to its neighbors or the West. He is calling for the lifting of international sanctions on Syria, as they were imposed against the already overthrown regime of Bashar al-Assad.

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