iranian. direction. and control over the situation in syria syria became the stage for a radical standoff between the region's two systems of power the sunni saudi monarchy against the shiite islamic republic of iran. i think many people including many american many americans and many europeans underestimated the degree to which syria was a red line for iran and that iran was willing to really take risks and put the resources in to back assad assad. i think the same is true for russia. neither iran nor russia wanted to accept. the notion of regime change that people in the middle east could write don't rise up and get rid of their leader you know russia has a real allergic reaction to that and iran. in september two thousand and fifteen russia began large scale intervention on the iranian side to defend bashar