Sanctions on Iran Can Help Bring Democracy to Syria

The brave people of Syria are continuing their protests against the Assad regime despite many deaths and casualties. The unrest has struck a massive blow to Syria's economy through strikes, reduced oil export, scaled back trade and international sanctions. The people's uprising together with the financial crisis will put additional economic pressure on the Assad regime which could in theory promote a faster regime change and hopefully usher in a democratic Syria. However neighbouring countries such as Iran, that do not benefit from the Arab spring or a regime change in Syria, are doing everything in their power to stop the unrest and keep Assad in power.

The news have reported that Iran has provided 5.8 billion dollars to help prop up the Syrian economy and thereby the Assad regime. Iran has also claimed that it could give 290 000 barrels of oil each day to enhance border control and stop the cash out-flow from Syria as people are fleeing the country. Syrian refugees have witnessed Iranian forces taking part in the assaults of the protesting people. It has also been reported that Iran has sent advisers and training personnel from the Qods force to assist Syria in their crackdown on anti-regime protesters. There are an astonishing amount of facts pointing to Iran supporting Syria in its crackdown against pro-democracy campaigners.

Despite the brutal crackdown on the Syrian protesters, leaving more than 1400 people dead and 10 000 detained, and financial aid from Iran to the Assad regime, the Syrian people are continuing their struggle for a democratic change and the international community should support them. A democratic change in Syria could have a massive impact on the entire Middle East and would be a dramatic loss for the fascist rulers of Iran. So far, in return for Iran's support, the Assad regime has acted as Iran's right hand in the Arab region and has helped Iran provide arms and funding to military and terrorist organisations like Hezbollah.

Iran is also interfering in the politics and relationships of other countries. Just recently it was revealed that the Qods force, led by the Iranian supreme leader Khamenei, attempted to kill the Saudi Ambassador in the U.S., thus waging a war against the international community. Moreover, Iran has meddled greatly in the internal political affairs of Iraq and Afghanistan, such that it has deprived the Iraqi people from achieving a stable democratic society and prolonging the conflict between the U.S. and Iraq and Afghanistan. The interference of Iran in Afghanistan has been so great that recent protests in Afghanistan have chanted anti-Iran slogans and burnt pictures of Khamenei.

It is without doubt that financial support from Iran plays a significant role for the survival of Assad's regime and the continued suppression of the Syrian people campaigning for democracy. Assad's current position is untenable and the international community can help the Syrian people to achieve their long-sought democratic society, which surely would harm the dangerous, brutal regime in Iran and also provide the basis for a stable and democratic Middle East.

If the financial aid to Assad's regime is cut off it would catalyse the process of regime change in Syria and prevent more bloodshed. One way to do so could be to impose sanctions on Iran in order to hinder them from aiding the brutal regime in Syria. Extensive sanctions on Iran would turn the Iranian regime's attention to its own, already growing, domestic problems and let the Syrian people fight their own battle without the interference of and the crackdown by foreign forces. It is important that the international community stands by the Syrian people in their struggle for democracy and prevents countries like Iran, that wages war against peaceful democracies, to further meddle in Syria for the purpose of exporting terrorism.

ENDS