Iraq News Now

Iran could obtain control over a container port

in the Syrian province of Latakia. Negotiations between the leaders of the

Islamic republic and representatives of Damascus are already underway, and it

is possible that Israel could have Iranian specialists on its doorstep by

autumn, reports Rambler news outlet.
A stronger foothold for Tehran in Syria will

create risks not only for the Hebrew state, but also for Russia, whose

relations with Iran can hardly be described as a “strategic partnership”,

despite all the assurances from Russian and Iranian officials.
The

negotiations with the Syrian government concern the arrival of Iranian

administrators to Latakia as early as autumn 2019. On 1 October, the contract

with the current managing company, a joint venture between the Syrian

investment company Souria Holding and the French transport enterprise CMA CGM

will expire. The port itself is the property of the Syrian government, and has

been under US sanctions since 2015. At present, there are 23 warehouses at the

container port. Before the country became caught up in a violent conflict in

the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the port was used to transit 3 million tons

of cargo per year.
The

Times notes that control of this commercial port could help the Iranian

government to safeguard a transit route through Iraq and Syria to the

Mediterranean Sea. Such a route is commonly linked to Tehran’s military

ambitions and dubbed the “Shiite Corridor” – a route which could reinforce the

Islamic republic’s position in the region and become the front line in its

battle against Israel.
The

US has endeavored to reduce the quantity of oil that Iran is able to export and

to cut off the transport channels that could help to revive the republic’s

economy, but it has been unable to affect the Chinese, Japanese and Indian

interest in Iranian oil. As such, Iran has continued to ship oil. Since oil

exports comprise roughly 70% of its revenue, maritime transport is of critical

significance to Tehran, both for transporting and for storing the black gold.
However,

the quality of the fleet at Iran’s disposal is questionable. After the Greek

company that used to provide Iran’s tankers was blacklisted, it became clear

that it is becoming increasingly difficult to use the old schemes to circumvent

sanctions. Experts claim that old methods, such as changing a ship’s name and

deactivating the automatic identification system, no longer work.
Iran

claims that its presence in Latakia is of an economic nature. A contract has

been signed to construct a $460 million power station in the coastal zone.

Spectators view these agreements as part of Iran’s plans to entrench itself in

Syria. In addition, Tehran and Damascus have agreed to found a joint chamber of

commerce and an investment bank, and to establish favorable customs tariffs as

part of the free trade zone agreement signed in 2011. Iran’s enemies in the

region are naturally suspicious that these economic projects are merely a front

for Iranian military expansion.
The

Times suggests that Iran’s economic and military entrenchment in Latakia

could help it to expand militarily under the cover of Russian aircraft, since

the Russian bases are in Tartus in the south of Latakia. However, there are

reasons to believe that a partnership between Moscow and Tehran in the post-conflict

period in Syria is extremely doubtful. In recent times, Russia has ramped up

its commercial ties, which have included arms deals, with the Islamic

republic’s regional adversaries – Saudi Arabia and Israel, and has more

forcefully affirmed its rights to natural resources in the Caspian Sea. This

development can only evoke a negative reaction in Tehran, which understands

full well that when the civil war in Syria ends, its influence in the region

will have to be shared with Russia, even in the economic sphere.
According

to statistics from 2018, Russian companies have overtaken Iran in gas

exploration tenders in Syria. Despite the presumption that Russia has a right

to vote in investment deals between Damascus and Tehran, Russia has every

reason to fear for its position in Syria. It is quite possible that the

competition between Russia and Iran will soon reach new levels.