Why Syria Has Stayed Out of the Iran War

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Despite the conflict around them, Syrians simply have no choice but to continue rebuilding their own country.

Once again, Syria finds itself caught in the middle of a region-wide conflict in the Middle East. As the United States, Israel, and Iran face a shaky ceasefire and the possibility of returning to war, broader questions of regional stability continue to dominate the airwaves, with little attention paid to Syria’s situation. Yet as the country continues to struggle after nearly 14 years of a brutal civil war that fractured the diverse country along ethnic, sectarian, and political lines, Syria’s decision to avoid partaking in the war—despite rumors to the contrary—makes strong strategic sense that will prove wise.

Even if they wanted to, the new authorities in Damascus lack any meaningful capacity to participate in the regional conflict. The war that witnessed former President Bashar al-Assad’s regime collapse in December 2024, following a shock opposition assault, did not suddenly resolve the country’s problems. Indeed, in many ways, the “new” Syria’s capacities reflect much of the old’s—hardly surprising given the scale of the challenges facing the country.

First and foremost, the country’s military is largely a shell of what was already an aging, weak, and corrupt institution. The Assad regime’s........

© The National Interest