Syria deal draws Iran into alliance with Russia and Turkey - The Washington Post
▻https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syria-deal-draws-iran-into-alliance-with-russia-and-turkey/2017/01/24/5336057c-e199-11e6-a419-eefe8eff0835_story.html
Under the agreement’s terms, Russia, Turkey and Iran are to establish an unspecified form of trilateral mechanism to enforce the cease-fire. The three powers stressed that future talks on a political settlement to the conflict are to be conducted under the guidance of the United Nations.
Perhaps most important, the deal shifted the parameters of the war by stating the parties’ determination to “fight jointly” against the Islamic State and Syria’s al-Qaeda affiliate, which are to be separated from rebel groups that participated in the talks.
That gives Iran a role in a new alliance against the Islamic State, possibly complicating any future attempts by the Trump administration to team up with Moscow against the militant organization.
It also cements Turkey’s move away from supporting the rebels’ war to topple Assad, toward a policy focused on counterterrorism.