Nearly a week after the clashes on Syria's west coast that killed more than 1,000 Alawite civilians, many aspects of the clashes remain unresolved. One ongoing debate is the direct involvement of Iran, a former ally of the Assad regime, in escalating the conflict.According to our sources, Tehran became aware of serious negotiations conducted by the United States to establish an agreement between the new Syrian government and the Kurds ahead of an insurgency by former regime loyalists against the new authorities in the predominantly Alawite coast.Could the violence be linked to a desire to kill the agreement in the bud? Iran, in coordination with Russia — another former Assad ally — reportedly played a key role in instigating the operations, according to several Syrian officials interviewed by L'Orient-Le Jour. The timing of the...