This leaves Iran the opening it needs to place a strategic bet that the Syrian conflict will generate increasing friction between the West and Iran’s regional archrival, Saudi Arabia. For Iran, a staunch supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, a weaker US-Saudi relationship is key to shifting the regional balance of power – especially if it is accompanied by the easing of Western economic sanctions.
这给了伊朗所需要的战略赌注机会——叙利亚冲突将造成西方与伊朗的主要地区对手沙特阿拉伯之间的摩擦升级。对叙利亚总统巴沙尔·阿萨德政权的坚定支持者伊朗来说，美国-沙特关系的削弱是改变地区实力平衡的关键——特别是伴随着西方经济制裁放松的话。