Perhaps most important, a peace settlement in Syria would be much more likely – and more likely to endure – if the US could talk to Iran, which has far more leverage with President Bashar al-Assad’s regime than Russia does. After all, it was fighters from Hezbollah, Iran’s Lebanese proxy, who turned the tide of battle decisively against the opposition this past summer.
也许更重要的是，如果美国能够与伊朗展开谈判，达成叙利亚问题和平协议的可能性也会大大增加——伊朗对叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德的作用远大于俄罗斯。毕竟，是伊朗的黎巴嫩代理人——真主党武装力量在去年夏天决定性地扭转了与反对派斗争的形势。