Has the increase in US military aggression and assertion in the country, involving a spate of attacks against Syrian forces, been undertaken with the protection of US-backed ground forces, as claimed? Or are these attacks being carried out with the aim of testing Russia's response and resolve when it comes to supporting its Syrian ally?
And as the smoke clears, are we able to discern the outline of two countervailing axes in the region — an axis of regime change and sectarianism comprising Saudi Arabia and Israel, which is supported by Washington, and an axis of resistance and non-sectarianism made up of Syria, Iran, and Hezbollah, supported by Moscow?
With the G20 Summit in Germany in sight, the opportunity for Putin and Trump to meet for the first time since Trump entered the White House could not be arriving at a more crucial point when it comes to Syria and the wider region.
In this episode, John is joined by writer, academic, and Middle East expert Christopher Davidson to unpack these recent developments with a view to placing them in their proper historical context.
