News Analysis: Iran nuclear deal likely to have positive impact on region

The long-waited Iranian nuclear deal will likely trigger a domino effect in the Middle East, including ushering in positive impact on the Syrian crisis, analysts said.

"The conflicts in Syria, Yemen and Iraq are considered, one way or another, as echoes to the larger conflict between the West and Iran over the latter's nuclear program," according to Hmaidi Abdullah, a Syrian political researcher.

After a long and winding road of negotiations, Iran and a group of six nations reached a historic deal on Tuesday to limit Iran's nuclear ability in return for lifting international sanctions on Tehran.

"The accord that was reached today on the Iranian nuclear issue will surely break the isolation between the West and Iran that has been in place since 1979, when the Islamic revolution won in Iran," Abdullah told Xinhua.

He expected that the relations between Iran and superpowers will return to "almost normal," adding that "obviously, the crisis in the region, including the Syrian one, will be affected positively."

The deal will surely empower Iran economically and politically and that is good news for Syria, as Tehran has emerged as a staunch ally of Damascus in the long-running conflict gripping Syria.

Tehran has recently stressed that it will continue supporting the government of President Bashar al-Assad on all levels with no limitation in the face of the global terrorism targeting Syria.

Assad welcomed the deal Tuesday, as he expects a wealthier Iran will strengthen aid to Damascus, at a time when Syrian government troops are more strained than ever.

"We are relieved that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue supporting, with momentum, the just causes of the peoples for establishing peace and security in the region and the world," he said, regarding the deal as a "major turning point" in the history of Iran and the entire region.

About the effects of the deal on Syria in the short run, Abdullah, the analyst, said that Iran's international and regional status will magnify, and will thus reflect positively on its allies, mainly the Syrian leadership.

"The morale and bets of the countries that were working on freezing the Iranian role in the region will decline because Iran will be economically strong for two reasons: its frozen assists will be released and it will have no sanctions that will restrict it from exporting its oil or financial transactions and that will empower its regional role even more," Abdullah said.

In the long run, the level of the dialogue and cooperation that will be reached between Iran and the West will enable Iran to be a vital part in influencing the international decision on regional issues, he noted.

For his part, Osama Danura, another political researcher, said "the improvement in the regional and international atmosphere reflects positively on the conflict zones in the region, including the Syrian one," adding that "the climate has become ripe now to end the conflict on the Syrian arena in tandem with the developments that have been achieved regarding the nuclear deal."

Danura said signs have started recently to appear about a possible change in the regional landscape in tandem with the progress of the nuclear talks.

One of the signs, he said, was the June 17 visit of the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman to Moscow, where he met with the Russian President Vladimir Putin and signed several agreements.

The Saudi prince and Putin discussed several regional issues, including the Syrian one, where Russia backs the al-Assad's administration and the kingdom supports the opposition.

Almost ten days following the Saudi prince visit to Russia, Syria's Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem flew to Moscow for talks with his government's main international ally.

Following his meeting with al-Moallem, Putin has reaffirmed Russia's support of the Syrian government and said that Syria must unite with neighboring countries in order to combat the Islamic State group, expressing his country's readiness to facilitate dialogue between countries in the region, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, both are staunch allies to the insurgency against Assad, to make a regional anti-terror coalition.

Danura said "those were some signs about a change in the landscape, even though they are not crystalized yet, but for Russia to propose such coalition that group Syria and Saudi Arabia together, it surly means something."

Another sign that appeared while the talks were progressing is the latest report emerging from the United States, which indicates that Washington's bid to train "moderate Syrian rebels" has to some extent failed as only 60 Syrian fighters joined the training, while the majority of those fighting in Syria are either with the Nusra or the IS.

These developments reflect the international awareness toward the need to combat terrorism, and here comes Iran's role.

Anas Joudeh, a Syrian opposition figure, said that the nuclear deal was Iran's ticket into the "international club," adding that after regaining its normal relations, the map of alliances will change.

"Iran will play extra roles in the region, and will be a partner in the international effort to fight terrorism, which means a change in the map of the alliances and a change in the power balance," he added. Endit