Downfall of Assad could further undermine Iran

Increased pressure on President Bashar al-Assad to step down has also increased pressure on Iran, his main Middle East supporter. Iran's vulnerability in Syria has not been lost on the United States, which has been imposing stiff economic sanctions on both countries. Some American officials and political analysts see the possible downfall of Mr. Assad as an event that could further undermine Iran as its economy reels under the sanctions imposed to get Tehran to suspend its nuclear program.

Assad's departure, the thinking goes, not only would threaten to sever Syria from Iran, which has long been a goal of the United States and its Arab allies, "but also could deprive Iran of its main means of projecting power in the Middle East. If Mr. Assad were to fall, Tehran would lose its conduit for providing military, financial and logistical support to Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. Both groups, which oppose Israel and are considered terrorist organizations by Washington, have vast arsenals of rockets and other weapons."

Syria is important to Iran's efforts to assert its influence over the region, particularly because it borders Lebanon, which provides access to Hezbollah.

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