Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, stands with Syrian President Bashar Assad at the Ash-Shaeb presidential palace in Damascus, Syria on Thursday. Syria is Iran's closest Arab ally.From The Telegraph:
Syria is ready to break off its close links with Iran if America gives it financial and military backing, a former Israeli diplomat involved in unofficial peace talks has revealed to The Sunday Telegraph.
According to the official, who has been engaged in low-key "second track" discussions with Syrian representatives for many months, Syria's President Bashar Assad is increasingly open to a deal which would greatly weaken Iranian influence in the region.
Alon Liel, a former director of Israel's foreign ministry, said the prospect of a peace agreement with Syria was growing, though it might require a new American president before a deal could be agreed. Syria's support for radical groups including Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hizbollah, both also backed by Iran, has played a large part in fomenting trouble in the Middle East.
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My Comment: I am very skeptical. But Arab pressure on Syria to break-away from Iran and its Shiite theocracy is a serious thing. I can only guess that Syrian President Bashar Assad is feeling the heat, and may be open to a deal. If this happens, it will help to alleviate the tension in the region.