I would rather have peace in Syria. None of these states are there for Kosher reasons despite how much they claim to that effect. This is a BBQ & Syrians are on the menu.
From day one, Iran was supportive of talks and very vocal against giving arms to opposition, and they were against removing Assad BEFORE talks because it would create a dangerous vacuum.
This is not expantionist, this is,
1) standing by your ally against foreign interference
2) working towards a stable region
3) creating a safer future for our own country
Let me talk about point 3 a bit. If we sit at home and let gcc and Turkey turn Syria and Iraq into a terrorist hotbed, which country will face problems? Iran. We will have hordes of terrorists on our western border. Who will come help us to fight them? Will Qatar come and help defend our land? Will Pakistan send their soldiers to fight against ISIS when bombs are going off in our country?
What was a more stable region? Syria under Assad or now?
We had the same experience on our eastern border. Did Pakistan help us against Taliban terrorists? Pakistan under Taliban was recognized under only 3 countries, Pakistan, UAE, and Saudi. It's time you Pakistanis help us clear the region of terrorists. Better a Musharaf than a Bin Laden.
@Horus
Although this is a complex situation but at the end of day the question is simple. Is Asad government best for Syria. In answering that question we must avoid looking through the sectatian prism which is a bane of the Muslim world.
In my opinion he is the least worse of the options available. What else? Isil? The question is if Asad goes are the alternatives better? A Turkish member here suggested that are alternatives other than ISIL. I am not too sure. Whatever can be said the situation in Syria prior to this conflict was darn sight better then now and Syria enjoyed respectable economic and social indicators. All that has been shot to pieces now.
I must admit I find myself between a hard thing and a rock as I find it hard to chart a way through two differant peoples for whom I have enormous respect who unfortunately hold diametric polar positions. Turks and Iranians.
And I have a gut feeling that all this Syria thing was a external project by certain powers who want to dismantle the last hostile country toward Isreal. Once Asad goes Isreal can have a party. No more Gaddafi, no more Saddam, no more Asad. what is left is all part of the Isreali battle order.
It's not a gut feeling, there are many sources indicating the project was well underway.
Here is an article from 2007
Secret U.S. plan to overthrow Syrian government | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization
And this is a poll from 2009
Assad - Most popular Arab leader | Al Bawaba
And yet again, the west wins out. It was able to turn the most popular Muslim leader into a figure of hate. We are a bunch of fools.
And here is the best article I have seen, everything is sourcec year by year,
Syrian War-Islamic State (ISIS) Creation Timeline | Global Research - Centre for Research on Globalization
Irani revolution did succeed in 79 despite Shah doing Assad on Irani population right ? Because there was no Sunni empire stood beside Shah just as Iran stood beside Assad right from the start
Here is why Iran's revolution worked.
1) it was 100% Iranian project (we didn't have chenyans or Libyans or anyone coming to Iran to fight against the Shah)
2) it wasn't funded by regional players to be exaggerated (we didn't receive arms and funds from Turkey and Qatar)
3) it had political maturity, that is, a political manifest, idealog, and charismatic leaders that could inspire
4) it was a solution for Iran, it wasn't creating a caliphate
5) it was able to band all oppositions together, they were all fighting Shah, not each other
6) the movement took a LONG time. It didn't just start and end in 1979. We had a constitutional revolution in early 20th century that was derailed, we kicked out the shan in 50s and he was brought back by CIA, and finally worked in 1979. It took 70 years. That's why it has remained. It was homegrown, mature, and not an outside project.
None of it applies to either Libya or Syria.