Syria’s Transactional State

How the Conflict Changed the Syrian State’s Exercise of Power

The Syrian regime has become increasingly reliant on profiteers and external actors – specifically, Russia and Iran – pursuing their own interests.

Research paper Updated 3 April 2024 ISBN: 978 1 78413 296 5

Members of the Russian military police hand out food aid to displaced Syrians returning into government-controlled territory at a checkpoint in Idlib province, 1 June 2018. A banner shows portraits of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images
— Members of the Russian military police hand out food aid to displaced Syrians returning into government-controlled territory at a checkpoint in Idlib province, 1 June 2018. A banner shows portraits of Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Photo: George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images

Lina Sinjab

Middle East Correspondent, BBC