PNN – Despite some minor differences, the strategies of the United States and the Zionist regime in Syria are centered on weakening Syria as a unified and independent country.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, Al Jazeera News Agency examined the strategy of the Zionist regime and the United States in Syria from the outbreak of the civil war in the country until the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government in an article and wrote: While the United States prioritizes geopolitical control and protecting its energy and security interests, the Zionist regime seeks to divide Syria into sectarian and ethnic entities to divide the Arab world and consolidate its regional hegemony.
A: The traditional Zionist strategy of dividing countries
The Israeli regime’s approach to Syria and the Arab region is not new. Its roots go back to the early days of the regime, where internal strategic documents from the 1950s, issued by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and Mossad, called for the creation of a Kurdish state as a bulwark against the prevailing and widespread Arab nationalism of the time.
The “Yinnon Zionist Plan” argued that Tel Aviv’s security and hegemony depended on the fragmentation of Arab countries into small sectarian and ethnic entities, such as the Druze, Alawites, Kurds, Maronites, Copts, and others.
The goal was to replace powerful, central Arab states with small, weak, fragmented states that would pose no threat to Tel Aviv’s security, but could later become allies or proxies under the patronage of the Zionist regime.
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In the case of Syria, this strategy involves dividing the country into four main zones of influence:
- Druze government: centered in the Sweida province in southern Syria.
- A small Alawite state: on the Syrian coast, under Russian support, centered around the cities of Latakia and Tartus.
- Kurdish region: In the northeast, under the control of the Kurdish Democratic Forces led by the Democratic Union Party (PYD/YPG), with US support.
- Sunni Arab belt: Under Turkish influence, extending along the northern and northwestern borders and the heart of Syria.
This partition plan directly serves the Zionist regime’s goals, as it keeps Syria weak and divided, unable to play its role as a regional actor supporting the Palestinian resistance, or opposing Tel Aviv’s expansionism.
Destruction of Syria’s military and strategic capabilities
Since 2013, the Israeli regime has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against targets in Syria under the pretext of targeting Iranian or Hezbollah positions. After October 7, 2023, the Israeli regime continued to assassinate Iranian and Hezbollah military commanders on Syrian soil.
These attacks also resulted in the systematic destruction of Syrian air defense systems, weapons depots, military bases, and scientific research centers. The goal of these actions was clear: to prevent the reconstruction of Syrian military capabilities and to impose permanent military and psychological superiority on the Zionist regime, and to restore its deterrent ability in the region.
Since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Tel Aviv’s attacks have intensified and included the occupation of more than 400 square kilometers of Syrian territory, in addition to the occupied Golan, and attacks on Syrian military capabilities and its critical infrastructure.
B: America’s agenda: domination through controlled chaos
America’s strategy in Syria is consistent with its larger strategy since the Cold War: to prevent the emergence of any power—regional or global—that could challenge American dominance.
During the Cold War, Washington viewed Syria as a Soviet-backed state and a supporter of Arab nationalism, the Palestinian resistance, and coalitions against American influence.
After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the United States sought to isolate Syria and prevent it from filling the regional vacuum left by the fall of Saddam Hussein.
Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising in 2011, the United States has pursued an interventionist policy of supporting Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria under the pretext of fighting so-called extremist groups and reducing Iranian influence, while allowing the Israeli regime to carry out continuous attacks to weaken the military capabilities of Syria and Iran.
Escalating Tensions in Sweida; Israel’s Ambitions in the Druze Region
Druze groups loyal to the Zionist regime have recently caused unrest in Sweida, exploiting economic and social discontent. Tel Aviv’s goals in Sweida reflect the content of the Yinon plan: Building coalitions with ethnic and religious minorities – such as the Druze – who may prefer autonomy under Tel Aviv’s protection. However, the Druze community is divided, as many reject foreign interference and emphasize their loyalty to the Syrian regime.
The difference between Washington and Tel Aviv’s views on the Druze
While the Israeli regime seeks to create a Druze entity in southern Syria, US policy remains cautious. The United States knows that public support for such a move may provoke violent reactions in Jordan and Lebanon, and even among the Druze within the Zionist regime itself, who may refuse to become tools in the hands of the Zionist regime’s deceptive policies. Washington also worries that dividing Syria will strengthen the power of extremist groups, or enable the influence of Iran and Russia.
So, the US wants a divided, not a collapsed, Syria so that it can maintain its influence without creating widespread regional chaos. But the Zionist regime is prepared to accept – and even feed – chaos in Syria if the price is to eliminate the Syrian threat forever.
Türkiye’s Role: Consolidating Strategic Influence
Turkey plays a pivotal role in rebuilding the new Syria. After failing to support the opposition and armed groups during the country’s civil war aimed at overthrowing Assad, Ankara has shifted its strategy to focus on preventing the creation of a Kurdish entity on its southern borders.
Turkish forces entered northern Syria to support Syrian Arab and Turkmen militias to limit Kurdish influence, but since the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Türkiye has become the main backer of the current Syrian regime.
Türkiye’s interests are in sharp contrast to US and Israeli policies focused on supporting Kurdish militias and Druze separatists. Ankara sees any Kurdish autonomy as a threat to its national security and internal integrity.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan announced Turkey’s firm policy against any attempt to divide Syria, saying that Turkey will intervene against any attempt to divide Syria or grant autonomy to armed groups.
Redrawing the map of Syria: The struggle over the future of the region
Halford Mackinder, a British politician and thinker and one of the founders of geopolitical science, said about Syria that whoever rules Eastern Europe controls the heart of the world; and whoever rules the heart of the world controls the island of the world; and whoever rules the island of the world controls the world.
The current danger, however, lies in the continued suffering of the Syrian people, the erosion of Arab national security and the concept of Arab sovereignty, and the possibility of wider regional conflict unless regional powers—particularly Turkey, and with it Iran and the Arab states—form a coordinated response. Under these circumstances, the partition of Syria may become a reality, a Zionist plan that fulfills Tel Aviv’s long-standing dream of creating a divided, fragmented, and dominated Middle East.