India, Aug. 16 -- Strip away the diplomatic language, and the meaning is clear enough: Russia no longer runs its own military bases in Syria.

In a clear sign of shifting geopolitical sands in the Middle East, an extraordinary memorandum of understanding was quietly announced on August 9 without much fanfare. After 18 months of negotiations, Syria and Russia announced that they had reached an agreement on the future of Russia's two most important military footholds in the Middle East: the Khmeimim air base near Latakia and the Tartus naval facility on the Mediterranean coast. The key terms are straightforward. Syria will take over the civilian operations at both sites: airport operations at Khmeimim and the commercial berths at Tartus, in...