The Reluctant Sectarianism of Foreign States in the Syrian Conflict

This Peace Brief, one of a five-part series on sectarianism in the Middle East, analyzes the regional sectarianism and dynamics related to the Syrian conflict.

• The Syrian conflict’s internal dynamics have reshuffled regional alignments alongside unprecedentedly clear-cut sectarian dividing lines; this has often occurred against the preferences of regional state actors − including Saudi Arabia and Iran.
• Foreign states have generally adopted expedient policies that followed sectarian patterns for lack of alternatives.
• Iran bears significant responsibility for exacerbating the conflict’s sectarian character at the regional level.
• There is no such “diplomatic shortcut” to regional appeasement; it is the domestic Syrian deadlock that must be broken in order to alleviate sectarian tensions across the Middle East, not the opposite.

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) 2013

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan institution established and funded by Congress to increase the nation's capacity to manage international conflict without violence.