Syria (MNN) — Syria strengthens ties with Iran as Russia remains preoccupied with its war in Ukraine. Syria has been tightly aligned with Russia since the Soviet era, but some analysts say President Bashar Assad is looking for alternative allies.
Assad met with Iran’s President and Supreme Leader in Tehran in early May. The Syrian president has rarely traveled abroad since 2011, when his crackdown on protests during the Arab Spring led to a devastating civil war.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu meets with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on February 15, 2022.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Officials remain tight-lipped about the details of their meeting. But Uncharted Ministries’ Tom Doyle says the geopolitical differences among Syrian leadership are no secret.
“Internally, Syria is falling apart. There’s a major division between the two brothers [holding positions of power in Syria] – one runs the Elite Guard, while the other runs the country as president,” Doyle says.
“Bashar Assad wants Russia to have the control (of Syria); his brother (Maher) wants Iran to have the control. This is known all over in Syria; the man on the street knows it.”
The silver lining
President Assad’s next political move may be in question, but there’s no doubt about what God is doing in Syria. “What we’re hearing out of Syria parallels what we’re hearing out of Iran [regarding] how fast God is moving and how deeply He’s touching people’s hearts,” Doyle says.
“Whole families are coming to faith in Christ; there’s an openness like we haven’t seen in all the years we’ve worked there.”
Uncharted partners with 15 national leaders to train Christ-followers in Syria. Contact the Uncharted team here to learn how you can help.
“Discipleship is everything,” Doyle says.
“We don’t want people just to come to faith in Christ, we want them to be transformed in Christ, which happens through daily discipleship in the Word, learning how to pray.”
Header image depicts Syrian President Bashar al-Assad meeting with Iranian President Seyyed Ibrahim Raisi and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Seyyed Ali Khamenei on May 8, 2022. (Wikimedia Commons)
