A truce for southern Syria, which was brokered by the U.S. and Russia, is intended to help calm the nerves of neighboring nation Jordan while also easing the mind of Israel regarding Iranian military ambitions in the region.

Fears are currently growing about Iran’s potential plan to setup a longterm and disruptive presence in the region. Israel, along with other allied nations, first noticed the potential for Iran to setup a foothold in the region through the movement of Shi’a Muslim militia units, which are loyal to Tehran, toward the border that Jordan shares with Syria, as well as other strategic areas in the southeast, near where the two nations touch Iraq.

Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s recent push to regain territories taken by rebel groups, some of which are backed by Western forces, will pit him against Islamic State militants in the southeast.

The AP reports: