Why are Syrian rebels stepping up efforts to isolate Iran?
▻http://al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/02/iran-syria-rebels-astana-meeting-alloush-saudi.html
At the end of the day, it should be said that any analysis of the rebels’ current strategy would be incomplete without considering the role of Saudi Arabia. Although the Saudis were absent at the Astana talks, Alloush, the head of the rebel delegation, was one of the main figures of the Saudi-backed High Negotiations Committee. Apparently following the abovementioned strategy, the committee first demanded a separate meeting with the Russians and then turned their focus to distancing Russia from Iran during the talks. At the same time, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Jan. 24 declared the willingness of the Saudi government to cooperate with the Trump administration against Iran. Thus, it seems that the Saudis and the rebels they support are ultimately trying to kill time until a possible US-Russia rapprochement changes the Syrian equation in their favor.
Read more: ▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/02/iran-syria-rebels-astana-meeting-alloush-saudi.html#ixzz4XvEdzM1i