What does Syria mean to the United States?
1974, the United States informally reached an "unshakable agreement" with Saudi Arabia for the first time. The United States sells weapons and equipment to Saudi Arabia to ensure that Saudi Arabia's security is no longer threatened by the Israeli war. Saudi Arabia accepts the US dollar as the only currency for pricing and settlement of oil export trade. After that, the US Treasury reached an agreement with Saudi Arabia to open the subscription of US Treasury bonds to Saudi Arabia. After reaching an agreement with Saudi Arabia, the United States reached an agreement with other members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) one by one, and decided that the OPEC countries would use the US dollar as the only pricing and settlement currency when exporting oil, and then traded crude oil futures on the American Commodity Exchange, thus locking in the pricing power of the United States for oil.
The historical background of the signing of this agreement is that Israel, America's number one ally in the Middle East, once again defeated the Arab countries with 1973. The Arab oil-producing countries headed by Saudi Arabia signed the Petrodollar agreement with the United States in order to avoid the threat of war from Israel. This can be regarded as the carrot and stick policy of the United States. On the one hand, it was threatened by its allies, and on the other hand, it was tempted by the dollar, which laid the historical position of petrodollars.
In fact, this process also reveals the two geographical pillars of petrodollars. Petrodollars, first, with Israel as the military pillar, exert military pressure on oil-producing countries through Israel; Second, with Saudi Arabia as the financial pillar, the settlement and trade of petrodollars are bound by signing exclusive agreements with major oil-producing countries headed by Saudi Arabia. The United States uses the contradiction between these two pillars to contain each other to maintain the stability of this system.
These two pillars not only made petrodollars, but also turned the Middle East into a millstone for the game of great powers, because this is the life gate of petrodollars, and Syria is a sword around Israel's neck. Any threat to Israel is a threat to petrodollars, that is, a threat to the United States, and petrodollars are the lifeblood of the United States.
What does Syria mean to Iran?
Oil must be settled in dollars, which is the basis of petrodollars. Over the years, all the Middle East oil-producing countries that threatened or put into practice and did not settle in dollars have been ruthlessly attacked and sanctioned by the United States. Iraq, Libya, Syria and Iran are all precedents. If this situation is allowed to continue, petrodollars will become financial hegemony, eroding the interests of all other countries in the world. Other world powers, based on their own interests, have not stood idly by and have been fighting petrodollars for many years. Geographically, their confrontation is rarely personally involved, mainly through the third force in the Middle East.
This force is inherently contradictory to the two pillars of petrodollars. The most important of these is the contradiction between Shiites headed by Iran and Sunnis headed by Saudi Arabia, as well as the contradiction between Iran and Israel.
Because of this natural contradiction, Iran has just become an opponent with Israel and Saudi Arabia, the two pillars of the Middle East in the United States. Iran, as the core of Shia, unites Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen to form a Shia arc, which puts great pressure on the two cores of Petrodollar in the United States.
Once Iran attacks these two pillars and interrupts one pillar, it will shake the foundation of petrodollars, which is the foundation of the United States and is equivalent to destroying the lifeline of the United States. This is why the United States has been trying to protect the security of Israel and Saudi Arabia for many years, but it has never tolerated the existence of any third Middle East force. In the past Iran-Iraq war, both sides may lose, but neither side can rise. Any strongman with expansion ambitions must be defeated, whether it is Iraq.
Syria is a key link for Iran to leave Iraq and connect with Lebanon. More importantly, Syria is Russia's traditional sphere of influence. Iran must join hands with Russia to resist the US-led NATO attack in Syria. Otherwise, if the United States wins Syria, Russia will lose its grip in the Middle East and Iran will lose one of the most important supporting forces of the international community. In addition, Syria is one of the two wings of Iran, just like its right hand. If it loses its right hand, it loses half of its combat effectiveness.
What does Syria mean to Russia?
Syria is Russia's only and last ally in the Middle East. Russia's control over Syria is just like its own overseas countries. If we lose Syria, Russia will lose the grip of directly threatening petrodollars, and its right to speak in the international arena will drop sharply again. It can be said that without Syria, Russia will only have nuclear weapons.
Although Russia can directly support Iran through the Caspian Sea, Iran is an ambitious regional power. Iran cannot be deeply controlled by Russia like Syria. Iran cannot do this, and neither can Russia. Then Russia's strategic support for Iran through Syria will become tactical support for transporting goods through the Caspian Sea. This is a two-level power level.
It can be said that Syria is the last stubbornness of Russia's involvement in international affairs. As long as Russia is still there, it will not give up Syria. This is the last proof that Russia is a biting tiger. Without Syria, it would lose its teeth. The United States will surround Russia in the Black Sea. Since then, it has been a regional power, not an international big brother.
What does Syria mean to other countries?
For Israel and Saudi Arabia, Syria is a millstone that consumes Iran, so they all paid for the Syrian war, which is to consume Iran in Syria.
For Turkey, the Kurds in Syria and Turkey are a family. Taking advantage of Syria's weakness is the best time to solve the future troubles of the Kurds.
finally
Syria is important to everyone, but no one cares who Syria is most important to. Syria used to be a beautiful country, but now it is a battlefield of ruins. This is Syria's own home, but it has become an international stage.
Perhaps this is also their confusion. What are Americans and Russians fighting for? This is the home of Syrians for generations. For many people in China, this is a similar and familiar history. Fortunately, our ancestors created a brand-new era, and we don't have to be as confused as the Syrians.