Iran's loss of its primary regional foothold after the 2024 fall of the Assad government has shifted Damascus toward neutral or Gulf-aligned positions, reducing incentives and operational access for direct Iranian military action against Syrian territory. In the ongoing 2026 regional conflict involving U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, Syrian officials have publicly warned Tehran against interference while pursuing sanctions relief, IMF reengagement, and diplomatic contacts with Israel and others. Recent reporting notes Iranian attempts to reestablish proxy networks along the border but no confirmed direct strikes by Iranian forces on Syrian targets in the past month. Ongoing diplomacy over the Strait of Hormuz and potential follow-on talks in Qatar further divert resources from peripheral targets. Traders assess these structural barriers and competing priorities as keeping the likelihood of a qualifying Iranian air or missile strike low through late 2026.