Alwaght-The UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution drafted by Russia that endorses a nationwide Syrian ceasefire in a major blow to US policies in West Asia region.


During the last days of 2016, the Security Council members welcomed the agreements reached through the mediation of Russia and Turkey, and stressed the importance of its “full and immediate implementation.”


The United States is conspicuously absent from the new process, in what is seen as an epitome of the decline of Washington’s influence in the region.


The deterioration of US influence was first evident in the events leading to the liberation of Syria’s key city of Aleppo from terrorists and now with the adoption of the new UN resolution, Washington has suffered an irreversible blow. This resolution is a clear indication of a change in regional power balance where the US is increasingly sidelined due to its negative and destructive role.


During the voting session US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power tried to justify Washington’s positive vote by claiming that the adoption of the text should be seen as a strong signal that Hezbollah should end its activities in Syria.


Resolution 2336 was unanimously adopted by all 15 members of the UN Security Council aiming to end the six year war on Syria and marked the start of a political solution to the country’s crisis. Apart from laying out the terms of a country-wide ceasefire in Syria that started on 30 December it also outlined the framework for negotiations in mid-January in Astana, Kazakhstan, on a political settlement aimed at a comprehensive resolution of the Syrian crisis by peaceful means.


Iran, Russia, Turkey efforts


The resolution is the outcome of concerted efforts by foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia and Turkey who met in Moscow last December. Therefore this resolution’s was based on the input of these three countries without the involvement of the US other western countries.


The sidelining of the US in the formulation and the eventual adoption of resolution 2336 on Syria is a turning point in the West Asia region and also heralds a shift on the internal mechanism of the UN Security Council.


This resolution is bound to have far-reaching implications in the West Asia region including taking the initiative from Western countries as far as regional issues are concerned. The absence of any Western power during the Syria ceasefire talks and also at the upcoming Astana negotiations points to a failure in the policies pursued by the US and its allies on Syria.


Diminished US role


The US and by extension its ally Saudi Arabia will be replaced and have a diminished or no role in efforts aimed at solving regional conflicts peacefully. It is clear that the US has little or no influence on the Syrian opposition and this is an indicator that Washington has all along been supporting terrorists in the country while claiming to back the so called moderate opposition.


The unanimous adoption of Resolution 2336 also points to a shift in the decision making process at the UN Security Council and overwhelming support for Iran, Russia, Turkey efforts to solve the crisis in Syria. Indeed the fact that the Syria resolution comes days after the Security Council passed a resolution condemning the Israeli for its settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories is another pointer to growing consensus against US policies in the region.


Iran’s crucial role is clearly demonstrated by  Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem’s visit to Tehran on Saturday  along with the country’s security services chief Ali Mamlouk, who is also a special security adviser to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.


The high ranking Syrian delegation met with high ranking Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani and deliberated on a lasting ceasefire in Syria and the upcoming talks in Astana.


Finally, Resolution 2336 is a blow to covert schemes of Balkanizing Syria that were being pursued by the US and the Israeli regime. This resolution which has acknowledged the need to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria while safeguarding the interests of the Syrian people. The same stance was reiterated in the December 20 joint statement issued after the tripartite meeting of Iranian, Russian and Turkish foreign ministers.


Therefore, the US now has to contend with its declining role in West Asia as regional countries moving as per the interests of their nations begin to assert their influence. However, regional states need to exercise vigilance due to the domineering nature of the US as Washington will  try to subvert countries cutting down it position.