political realism focuses on the role of power in determining how states interact with each other and strive to achieve their national interests.

political realism focuses on the role of power in determining how states interact with each other and strive to achieve their national interests. How does the political realism perspective help explain what is happening in Syria these days, where there is a clear power struggle between Shiite Muslims (President Assad is a Shiite, supported by Iran and Russia. Only 13% of the population is Shiite), Sunni Muslims (the 74% of Syrians are Sunnis; ISIS is Sunni, and a major goal they have is to remove the Shiites from power) and Kurds (a cohesive minority comprising 10-15% of the population, who have been fighting for a separate homeland for decades)?