Norwich Blogs

Whatever Happens in Syria Does Not Stay in Syria

Syria’s conflict has become a crucible in which the fractures of the Middle East and global rivalries are simultaneously played out, shaping both regional politics and international security. The war’s aftermath saw the rise and fall of ISIS, the evolution of Islamist movements like Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham from transnational jihadism to localized governance, and the unexpected emergence of Kurdish autonomy that reshaped regional Kurdish dynamics. Syria’s collapse recalibrated the strategies of major powers: Russia overextended, Iran’s regional axis weakened, Turkey gained influence but faced new Kurdish challenges, and Israel leveraged the turmoil to expand its reach. Meanwhile, Arab states fractured further, and the U.S. became more deeply entangled through its paradoxical support for Kurdish forces. The conflict underscored the fragility of sovereignty, the adaptability of nonstate actors, and the way Syria functions as a mirror for broader contests over legitimacy, identity, and world order—making clear that what happens in Syria reverberates far beyond its borders.