Assad forces scored a major victory this week against rebels in Syria. After a seventeen day battle, the Syrian Army, along with Hezbollah fighters, seized the strategic town of Qusayr, giving the regime control of a key highway linking Damascus to the coast.
The victory is especially significant for Hezbollah, marking the organization’s first victory in the Syrian conflict.
Hezbollah is one of many parties that have a stake in the conflict. Regional powers, including Israel and Iran, non-state actors, like Hezbollah and Al Qaeda, and the global superpowers Russia and the U.S. have all been involved in Syria in one way or another.
In this way, the conflict in Syria has spread to become a regional war, creating tensions between Shia and Sunnis in neighboring countries. Each action on the ground in Syria, and the perception of gains or losses, reverberates across the region.
Geneive Abdo, fellow with the Middle East/Southwest Asia program at The Stimson Center, explains the increasingly regional nature of the war.
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