Syria will become Russia’s “last battle” for maintenance of its presence in the Middle East, Armenian political expert said.

“A Russia – China – Iran coalition has been formed, that backs Syrian leader Bashar Assad,”Levon Shirinyan told a press conference.

More than 17,000 people have been killed in Syria since the outbreak of protests against President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011, according to UN estimates.

More than 150,000 Syrian refugees have officially registered in four neighboring countries – Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey, while officials acknowledge that the real number of refugees is likely to exceed 200,000.