The country’s strategic calculations are bound to have been affected by the ascension of Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the Saudi throne, a real game changer that has resulted in a shift of alliances among the region’s Sunni powers. Stronger ties among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar – and the spectacular successes of the latter’s Sunni proxies in Syria – will put pressure on Iran to cut Assad loose or risk being drawn even deeper into the Syrian quagmire.
随着大马士革的盟友离失败越来越近，伊朗也有可能面临清算的威胁。该国的战略筹划注定要受到萨勒曼·本·阿卜杜勒·阿齐兹·阿勒沙特在沙特登位的影响，这一游戏规则的改变已经导致该地区的逊尼派势力改变联盟。沙特、土耳其和卡塔尔之间更加牢不可破的关系——以及后者的叙利亚逊尼派代理所取得的惊人成绩——将迫使伊朗放弃阿萨德，或冒险被拖进叙利亚泥潭更深处。