Why the leader of CENTCOM says that a long-term presence in Syria is not a war footing against Iran

Robert Karem, Deputy Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, testified before Congress last week about the Iranian influence in Syria and why the administration sees it as an obstacle to a settlement. Peaceful Civil War in Syria. He cited the proliferation of advanced conventional weapons in Iran and the financing of Shiite militias as reasons to counter its influence in the region.