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Why are Syrian rebels stepping up efforts to isolate Iran?

The Syrian rebels’ rejection of Iran as a guarantor of the cease-fire in Syria is about much more than simple anti-Iranian sentiment among Sunni militants.
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura (C) shakes hands with Kazakh Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov (L) as Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaber Ansari stands beside during the announcement of a final statement following Syria peace talks in Astana on January 24, 2017. / AFP / Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV        (Photo credit should read KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP/Getty Images)

For the first time since the start of the Syrian war, representatives of the Syrian government and the rebels gathered last week in Astana, Kazakhstan, to talk about ways to strengthen the current cease-fire and further push it toward a political settlement. However, as the talks concluded Jan. 24 with a joint statement from Russia, Iran and Turkey, some new ambiguities emerged on the exact role each of these players will have in the next phases of the political process. According to the statement, the three countries emphasized their role as the guarantors of the cease-fire and their shared commitment to fight terrorist groups. But the very fact that the rebels refused to sign the statement raised speculation about the limits of this newly established trilateral mechanism.

If we consider the issue from a wider perspective and in relation to some of the stances taken by the rebels during the talks in Astana, it could be said that their objection to Iran’s role was the main reason behind their refusal to support the statement. In his remarks on the first day of the talks, the head of the Syrian rebel delegation, Mohammad Alloush, questioned Iran’s commitment to the cease-fire while accusing Tehran of complicating the situation by supporting armed pro-government groups in Syria. At the same time, some reports indicated that the rebels would accept a guarantor role for Russia, but not for Iran. At one point, Alloush even threatened that if the talks end in failure, the rebels would restart their fight against the government.

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