You have it right. Strip it all away and this is about 2 competing pipeline projects that both need to run through Syria — Iranian (with Russia) and Saudi-Qatari (with US). Asad favored the Iranians and therefore Obama said he must go.
Interesting. There was a pipeline from Iraq across the Golan Heights and Galilee to the Israeli seaport city of Haifa, but it was soon destroyed after Israel became a nation. You can still see the remnants.