In recent weeks, multiple Russian diplomats, as well as Vladimir Putin himself, have stated that the Kremlin expects “foreign forces” to leave Syria in the near future. One Russian official even specified that this phrase includes not just U.S. troops but also those of Iran and Hizballah. Dore Gold comments:
What changed in Moscow? It appears that the Kremlin began to understand that Iran handicapped Russia’s ability to realize its interests in the Middle East. The Russians had secured many achievements with their Syrian policy since 2015. They had constructed a considerable military presence [in that country] that included air and sea ports under their control. They had demonstrated across the Middle East that they were not prepared to sell out their client, President Bashar al-Assad, no matter how repugnant his . . . policies had become—including his repeated use of chemical weapons against his own civilian population. The Russians successfully converted their political reliability into a diplomatic asset, which Arabs contrasted with the Obama administration’s poor treatment of President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt . . . in 2011. Now, however, Iran is putting Russia’s achievements at risk through a policy of escalation with Israel.
The Russian security establishment appeared to understand from the start that Israel’s strategy in Syria was essentially defensive. For example, Israel wanted to prevent the delivery of weapons to Hizballah that could alter the military balance in its favor. One feature of Russian military policy at a very early stage was the carte blanche Moscow appeared to give Israel to strike at these weapons deliveries and later at Iranian facilities across Syria. . . .
Russia is not cutting its ties with Iran. But it is clearly cutting back Iran’s freedom of action in Syria. The idea that Russia would back Iran’s use of Syria as a platform for operations against Israel or Jordan is not [credible]. Still, Russia would remain the primary supplier of Assad’s army in Syria as well as his strategic partner. Unquestionably, Iran would need to reassess its Middle Eastern strategy after Moscow’s pronouncements calling for it to leave Syria.
Read more on Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs: http://jcpa.org/russia-constrains-iran/