High risk of escalation in Middle East; any conflict there affects Syria — expert

High risk of escalation in Middle East; any conflict there affects Syria — expert Lilian Maarouf stressed that ensuring stability and preventing conflicts between external powers should be the priorityMOSCOW, September 29. /TASS/. Any large-scale escalation in the Middle East would affect Syria, while the risk of heightened tensions remains in the region, Lilian Maarouf, a Syrian expert with the Global Fact-Checking Network (GFCN), journalist, and political commentator, said following the "Dialogue on Fakes 4.0" international forum. "Any large-scale regional escalation could affect Syria politically. We are a central point influenced by all global issues, including those involving Iran," Maarouf said. "For instance, a problem in Turkey affects Syria. If something happens in another country in the region, it also has an impact on Syria." "The situation in Iran, as well as developments in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, affects the entire world - certainly from an economic perspective," she noted. "A large-scale regional escalation could affect Syria politically, economically, and in terms of security. There is always a risk of regional escalation here, but it is difficult to predict how the situation in Syria will develop." Maarouf said that ensuring stability and preventing conflicts between external powers should be the priority. "We need peace - not just in Syria. We want everyone to live in peace," she emphasized. 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