Jump to content

Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war
Part of foreign involvement in the Syrian civil war and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict

Iranian and Hezbollah's (marked in blue) military presence and influence in Syria as of December 2020
Date9 June 2013[17] — 6 December 2024
(11 years, 6 months, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location
Syria and Lebanon
Result

Iranian withdrawal and defeat

Belligerents

 Islamic Republic of Iran Surrendered[1]

Iran-sponsored militias:

In support of:
 Syrian Arab Republic

Supported by:
 Russia (airstrikes)[4]

Syrian opposition Syrian Interim Government

Supported by:

Islamic Front

Jaysh al-Sunna (2013–17)[7] Supported by:

Syrian Salvation Government

Supported by:

 Al-Qaeda[9][10]

 Islamic State Surrendered

Syrian Democratic Forces

  • YPG
  • YPJ
  • Other SDF groups and allies

Supported by:
CJTF-OIR (2014–present)

 Iraqi Kurdistan[16]
(limited involvement)
Commanders and leaders
Iran Ali Khamenei
(Supreme Leader of Iran)
Iran Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani †[19][20]
(Quds Force chief commander)
Iran Brig. Gen. Dariush Dorosti †[21]
(IRGC commander)
 Iran Maj. Abolghassem Zahiri (WIA)[1]
(102nd Imam Hossein Battalion commander)
Iran Ahmad Gholami †
(Iranian paramilitary commander)
Iran Brig. Gen. Razi Mousavi †
(IRGC commander)[19]

Syrian opposition Salem al-Meslet
(President)
Syrian opposition Col. Riad al-Assad
(Founder of FSA)
Syrian opposition Brig. Gen. Mustafa Al-Sheikh
(Head of Higher Military Council)
Syrian opposition Gen. Salim Idris
(Former Chief of Staff of SMC)
Syrian opposition Brig. Gen. Hassan Hamada
(Chief of Staff of SNA)

Zahran Alloush † (Chief of Islamic Front)
Hassan Aboud †
Abu Jaber Shaykh
Hassan Soufan

Abu Khayr al-Masri †[22]
(al-Qaeda deputy leader)
Abu Humam al-Shami[23]
Abu Hajer al-Homsi
(al-Nusra Front military chief)[24]
Khalid al-Aruri
(Former leader of Hurras al-Din)[25]

Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi †		 Zoran Birhat[26]
(YPJ senior commander)
Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria Ciwan Ibrahim[27]
(Asayish head)
Strength

Iran 2,000 soldiers according to the US (denied by Iran)[28]
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 10,000 fighters (2015)[29]

5,000+ Iranian Army soldiers (2015)[29]

14,000+ fighters (2017)[30]
Hezbollah 10,000+ fighters (2017)[31]
c. 2,000 al-Nujaba fighters[3]
Russia 120+ Naval Infantry advisors, several BMPs[32][33]		 ?
Casualties and losses

10,600+ killed (SOHR claim)[34]

  • Iran 2,300+ killed[35]
  • Liwa Fatemiyoun:
    2,000+ killed
    8,000+ wounded[36]
  • Hezbollah 1,800+ fighters killed[37]
  • Iraqi Shia Militia:
    1,308+ militiamen killed[38]
 Unknown Unknown Unknown

From the 2000s until the fall of the Assad regime, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Syrian Arab Republic were close strategic allies, and Iran provided significant support for the Syrian Ba'athist government in the Syrian civil war, including logistical, technical and financial support, as well as training and combat troops. Iran saw the survival of the Assad regime as being crucial to its regional interests.[39][40][41] When the uprising developed into the Syrian civil war, there were increasing reports of Iranian military support, and of Iranian training of the National Defence Forces both in Syria and Iran.[42] From late 2011[43] and early 2012, Iran's IRGC sent tens of thousands of Iranian troops and Shi'ite foreign paramilitary volunteers in coordination with the Syrian government to prevent the collapse of the regime; thereby polarizing the conflict along sectarian lines.[44]

Iranian security and intelligence services advised and assisted the Syrian military in order to preserve the erstwhile Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's hold on power.[39] Those efforts included training, technical support, and combat troops.[39][45] Estimates of the number of Iranian personnel in Syria ranged from hundreds to tens of thousands.[40][46][47] Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, backed by Iran's government, had taken direct combat roles from 2012 until 2024.[40][48][49] From the summer of 2013, Iran and Hezbollah provided important battlefield support for Assad, allowing it to make advances on the opposition.[48]

In 2014, coinciding with the peace talks at Geneva II, Iran stepped up support for Assad.[40][48] Estimates of financial assistance range from tens to hundreds of billions of dollars.[50][51][52][53][54] Tehran's objectives included Shi'ification attempts through forced conversions, Shia missionary activities, establishment of shrines and demographic transformations by bringing in foreign Twelver Shia settlers in regime-controlled territories.[55][43]

Iranian troops and allied militias on the ground were supported by ballistic missiles and air forces, including armed drones utilizing smart munitions. By October 2018, Iranian drones had launched over 700 strikes on Islamic State forces alone.[56] At the height of its intervention in 2015–18, an estimated 10,000 IRGC forces and 5,000 Iranian Army members were stationed in Syria alongside tens of thousands of Iranian-led foreign militias. In 2018, 2,000 officers of the Quds Forces commanded an estimated 131 military garrisons and tens of thousands of Iran-backed Shia jihadists across regime-controlled regions.[29] In 2023, Iran maintained 55 military bases in Syria and 515 other military points, the majority in Aleppo and Deir Ezzor governorates and the Damascus suburbs; these were 70% of the foreign military sites in the country.[57] On December 6, 2024, after severe military setbacks due to a series of rebel offensives, Iran and its proxies withdrew from Syria.[58]

Background

[edit]
See also: Iran–Syria relations and Hezbollah–Syria relations

Iran saw the survival of the Syrian government as being crucial to its interest. Its only consistent ally since the 1979 Islamic revolution, Syria provided a crucial route to supply arms for Hezbollah in Lebanon. IRGC presence in Syria had boasted Syria as being Iran's major geopolitical ally, in addition to viewing Bashar al-Assad's Alawite dominated Ba'athist government as a crucial buffer against the influence of Saudi Arabia and the United States.[40]

The Syrian city of Zabadani was vitally important to Assad and to Iran because, at least as late as June 2011, the city served as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps's logistical hub for supplying Hezbollah.[59] Prior to the Syrian war, Iran had between 2,000 and 3,000 IRGC officers stationed in Syria, who helped to train local troops and managing supply routes of arms and money to neighboring Lebanon.[40]

In April 2014, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iranian deputy foreign minister said, "We aren't seeking to have Bashar al-Assad remain president for life. But we do not subscribe to the idea of using extremist forces and terrorism to topple Assad and the Syrian government".[60] Using its increased leverage during the civil war, Iranian government had been recruiting Alawites by setting up Khomeinist religious centers to convert them to Twelver Shi'ism. It had also been attempting demographic shifts by bringing in foreign Shia settlers and families of IRGC soldiers across Syria.[29]

Timeline

[edit]

2011

[edit]

In the civil uprising phase of the Syrian civil war, Iran was said to be providing Syria with technical support, based on Iran's capabilities developed following the 2009–2010 Iranian election protests.[41]

In April 2011 U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice accused Iran of secretly aiding Assad in his efforts to quell the protests,[61] and there were reports of Syrian protesters hearing security-force members speaking Persian.[62]

The Guardian reported in May 2011 that the Iranian government was assisting the Syrian government with riot control equipment and intelligence monitoring techniques.[63] According to US journalist Geneive Abdo writing in September 2011, the Iranian government provided the Syrian government with technology to monitor e-mail, cell phones and social media. Iran developed these capabilities in the wake of the 2009 protests and spent millions of dollars establishing a "cyber army" to track down dissidents online. Iran's monitoring technology is believed to be among the most sophisticated in the world, perhaps only second to China.[41]

2012

[edit]

In May 2012, in an interview with the Iranian Students News Agency which was later removed from its website, the deputy head of Iran's Quds Force said that it had provided combat troops to support Syrian military operations.[64] It was alleged by the Western media that Iran also trained fighters from Hezbollah, a Shia militant group based in Lebanon.[65] Iraq, located between Syria and Iran, was criticized by the U.S. for allowing Iran to ship military supplies to Assad over Iraqi airspace.[66]

The Economist said that Iran had, by February 2012, sent the Syrian government $9 billion to help it withstand international sanctions.[45] It has also shipped fuel to the country and sent two warships to a Syrian port in a display of power and support.[67]

In March 2012, anonymous U.S. intelligence officials claimed a spike in Iranian-supplied arms and other aid for the Syrian government. Iranian security officials also allegedly traveled to Damascus to help deliver this assistance. A second senior U.S. official said members of Iran's main intelligence service, the Ministry of Intelligence and Security, were assisting Syrian counterparts in charge of the crackdown.[68]

According to a U.N. panel in May 2012, Iran supplied the Syrian government with arms during the previous year despite a ban on weapons exports by the Islamic Republic. Turkish authorities captured crates and a truck in February 2012, including assault rifles, machine guns, explosives, detonators, 60 mm and 120 mm mortar shells as well as other items on its border. It was believed these were destined for the Syrian government. The confidential report leaked just hours after an article appeared in The Washington Post revealing how Syrian opposition fighters started to receive more, and better, weapons in an effort paid for by Persian Gulf Arab states and co-ordinated partly by the US.[69] The report investigated three large illegal shipments of Iranian weapons over the past year and stated "Iran has continued to defy the international community through illegal arms shipments. Two of these cases involved [Syria], as were the majority of cases inspected by the Panel during its previous mandate, underscoring that Syria continues to be the central party to illicit Iranian arms transfers."[70] More anonymous sources were cited by the UN in May 2012, as it claimed arms were moving both ways between Lebanon and Syria, and alleged weapons brought in from Lebanon were being used to arm the opposition.[71] The alleged spike in Iranian arms was likely a response to a looming influx of weapons and ammunition to the rebels from Gulf states that had been reported shortly before.[72]

On 24 July 2012, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp commander Massoud Jazayeri said Iranians would not allow enemy plans to change Syria's political system to succeed.[73]

In August 2012 Leon Panetta accused Iran of setting up a pro-Government militia to fight in Syria, and chairman of the joint chiefs of staff General Martin Dempsey compared it to the Mahdi Army of Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr. Panetta said that there was evidence that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards were attempting to "train a militia within Syria to be able to fight on behalf of the regime".[74] 48 Iranians were captured by the FSA in Damascus, and U.S. officials said that the men who were captured were "active-duty Iranian Revolutionary Guard members".[75]

In September 2012, Western intelligence officials stated that Iran had sent 150 senior members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to preserve the Assad government, and had also sent hundreds of tons of military equipment (among them guns, rockets, and shells) to the Assad government via an air corridor that Syria and Iran jointly established. These officials believed that the intensification of Iranian support had led to increased effectiveness against the Free Syrian Army by the Assad government.[76]

According to rebel soldiers speaking in October 2012, Iranian Unmanned aerial vehicles had been used to guide Syrian military planes and gunners to bombard rebel positions. CNN reported that the UAV or drones—which the rebels refer to as "wizwayzi" were "easily visible from the ground and seen in video shot by rebel fighters".

Rebels have displayed captured aircraft they describe as Iranian-built drones — brightly colored, pilotless jets. They're accompanied by training manuals emblazoned with the image of Iran's revolutionary leader, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.[77]

2013

[edit]

In January 2013, a prisoner swap took place between the Syrian Rebels and the Syrian Government authorities. According to reports, 48 Iranians were released by the Rebels in exchange for nearly 2,130 prisoners held by the Syrian Government. Rebels claimed the captives were linked to the IRGC.[78] US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland described the Iranians as "members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard," calling it "just another example of how Iran continues to provide guidance, expertise, personnel, technical capabilities to the Syrian regime."[79]

Iran decided in June 2013 to send 4,000 troops to aid the Syrian government forces, described as a "first contingent" by Robert Fisk of The Independent, who added that the move underscored a Sunni vs. Shiite alignment in the Middle East.[80] IRGC soldiers, along with fellow Shi'ite forces from Hezbollah and members of Iran's Basij militia participated in the capture of Qusair from rebel forces on 9 June 2013.[17][81] In 2014, Iran increased its deployment of IRGC in Syria.[40] Iran also proposed to open a new Syrian front against Israel in the Golan Heights, this coming a day after Egyptian President cut off diplomatic relations with Syria and demanded that Iran support for the pro Syrian-government Hezbollah end.[82] A Syrian official called the severing of relations by Morsi "irresponsible" and said it was part of a move by the U.S. and Israel to exacerbate divisions in the region.[83]

According to American officials questioned by journalist Dexter Filkins, officers from the Quds force have "coordinated attacks, trained militias, and set up an elaborate system to monitor rebel communications" in Syria from late 2012 to 2013. With help from the Hezbollah, and under the leadership of Quds Force general Qasem Soleimani, the al-Assad government won back strategic territory from rebels in 2013, in particular an important supply route during the Al-Qusayr offensive in April and May.[84]

In the fall of 2013 Iranian Brigadier General Mohammad Jamali-Paqaleh of the Revolutionary Guards was killed in Syria, while volunteering to defend a Shia shrine.[85] In February, General Hassan Shateri, also of the Revolutionary Guards, had been killed while travelling from Beirut to Damascus.[86]

2014

[edit]

Iran has stepped up support on the ground for Syrian President Assad, providing hundreds more military specialists to gather intelligence and train troops. This further backing from Tehran, along with deliveries of munitions and equipment from Moscow, is helping to keep Assad in power.[40][48] This surge of support was in part a decision strongly promoted by Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds force, to exploit the outbreak of infighting between rebel fighters and the al-Qaeda inspired Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS).[40]

A former Iranian Revolutionary Guard forces commander said that "top Quds force commanders were tasked with advising and training Assad's military and his commanders", adding that "Revolutionary Guards directed the fighting on the instructions of the Quds Force commanders".[48] In addition there are thousands of Iranian paramilitary Basij volunteer fighters as well as Shi'ites from Iraq. Former Iranian officials and a Syrian opposition source also put the count of those auxiliary forces in the thousands.[40][48]

A Syrian opposition source said in recent months Iranian led forces had begun operating in coastal areas including Tartous and Latakia. They have local ID cards, wear Syrian military fatigues and work with the elite Syrian Air Force intelligence unit.[48]

2015

[edit]
See also: Russian military intervention in the Syrian Civil War § Cooperation with Iran

The Wall Street Journal reported on 2 October 2015 that Iran's Revolutionary Guard (the IRGC) has had some 7,000 IRGC members and Iranian paramilitary volunteers operating in Syria and was planning to expand its presence in the country through local fighters and proxies. The Journal also reported that some experts estimate 20,000 Shiite foreign fighters are on the ground, backed by both Shiite Iran and Hezbollah.[87]

At least 121 IRGC troops, including several commanders, have been killed in the Syrian Civil War since it began.[88][89][90]

Key victories were achieved with substantial support provided by the Quds force, namely the al-Ghab plains battles, Aleppo offensives, Dara'aya offensives of 2015 and the al-Qusayr offensives which established government and Hezbollah control over the northern Qalamoun region and the border crossings from Lebanon to Syria. In June 2015, some reports suggested that the Iranian military were effectively in charge of the Syrian government troops on the battlefield.[91]

After the loss of Idlib province to a rebel offensive in the first half of 2015, the situation was judged to have become critical for Assad's survival. High level talks were held between Moscow and Tehran in the first half of 2015 and a political agreement was achieved.[92] On 24 July General Qasem Soleimani visited Moscow[93] to devise the details of the plan for coordinated military action in Syria.[92][94]

In mid-September 2015, the first reports of new detachments from the Iranian revolutionary guards arriving in Tartus and Latakia in west Syria were made. With much of the Syrian Arab Army and National Defence Forces units deployed to more volatile fronts, the Russian Marines and Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRG) have relieved their positions by installing military checkpoints inside the cities of Slunfeh (east Latakia Governorate), Masyaf (East Tartus Governorate) and Ras al-Bassit (Latakia coastal city).[95] There were also further reports of new Iranian contingents being deployed to Syria in early October 2015.[96]

On 1 October 2015, citing two Lebanese sources, Reuters reported[97] that hundreds of Iranian troops had arrived in Syria over the previous 10 days to join Syrian government forces and their Lebanese Hezbollah allies in a major ground offensive backed by Russian air strikes that started on 30 September 2015 and were welcomed as vital by Bashar Assad.[98]

On 8 October 2015, brigadier general Hossein Hamadani, the deputy to General Qasem Soleimani in Syria was killed.[99][100][101] On 12 October, two more senior commanders of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hamid Mokhtarband and Farshad Hassounizadeh, were reported by Iranian media to have been killed in Syria.[102]

At the end of October 2015, Iran agreed to take part in the Syria peace talks in Vienna.[103] The talks for the first time brought Iran to the negotiating table with Saudi Arabia, which are said to be engaged in a proxy war in Syria.[104][105] The talks however were promptly followed by an exchange of sharp rebukes between Iran's and Saudi Arabia's top officials that cast doubt on Iran's future participation in those.[106][107]

2016

[edit]

In November 2016, Iranian government announced the deaths of over a thousand of its military troops deployed to Syria, a rapid spike from the 400 deaths announced a few months earlier.[108]

2017

[edit]
Further information: 2017 Deir ez-Zor missile strike

In June 2017, Iran attacked militants' targets in the Deir Ezzor area in eastern Syria with ballistic missiles fired from western Iran.[109] As a result of these attacks (in an operation which was named as the missile operation of "Laylat al-Qadr"),[110] more than 170 forces of ISIS among a number of its commanders were killed.[111][unreliable source?]

2018

[edit]
Further information: February 2018 Israel–Syria incident and May 2018 Israel–Iran incidents

In May 2018, Iranian Quds forces based in Syria launched a 20 rockets attack on Israel. None of the rockets hit any targets and Israeli aircraft responded by extensively hitting both Syrian and Iranian military sites in Syria.[112]

2019

[edit]

In January 2019, the Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it had carried out strikes against Iranian military targets in Syria several hours after a rocket was intercepted over the Golan Heights. The Israeli military claimed in a statement that Quds Force positions were targeted and included a warning to the Syrian military against "attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory."[113]

2020

[edit]
Map depicting the extent of Iranian control across various regions of Syria and Lebanon in 2021

Between 27 February and 3 March, 4 Iranians were killed by Turkish forces.[114] On 7 March, an IRGC commander, Farhad Dabirian, was reported to be killed a day earlier in the Sayyidah Zaynab neighborhood in Damascus, without giving details on the circumstances of his death.[115] On 18 March, an Iranian commander, Mehran Azizani, was announced to be killed by Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria.[116] On 15 May, Another commander, Abu al-Fadl Sarlak, was announced to be killed probably by an Israeli airstrike in Khanasir.[117]

2021

[edit]

After a year of cease-fire deals and emergence of a frozen conflict, many high-ranking members of the Ba'athist leadership like Maher al-Assad and First Lady Asma al-Assad has been seeking the end of Iranian military presence and demanding the withdrawal of Shia militias. This was part of their reconciliation plan with other Arab countries of the region. Head of IRGC in Syria, Javad Ghaffari, was dismissed by Bashar al-Assad in November 2021 to curtail Iranian influence in regime-held territories; demonstrating growing resentment within government circles over continued Iranian presence.[118]

2024

[edit]

On 6 December, amid the collapse of Syrian government forces due to the rebel offensive launched in late November, the Iranian government began evacuating military commanders and personnel from Syria. Among those evacuated included several Quds Forces commanders, IRGC members, diplomatic staff and their families as well as Iranian citizens. Flights to Tehran, as well as land routes to Lebanon, Iraq and the port of Latakia were being utilized to transport the outgoing Iranians from the country.[58]

Public opinion

[edit]

The fierce insistence of Iran's ruling clerics to engage actively in the Syrian crisis is driven by a sectarian strategy which depicts the conflict as a "religious war",[119] despite the considerable doctrinal differences between the Alawites and the Twelver Shiites and the traditional Arab nationalist and secular orientation of the ruling Baathist party.[citation needed]. Although the Assad government has enjoyed a political alliance with ruling clerics in Iran from the time of its establishment, this alliance is not driven by any common religious/sectarian causes; the Ba'ath government in Syria does not participate in Iranian religious issues, and the Ayatollahs in Iran do not consider Assad a Shiite partner.[120][verification needed]

In a March 2018 ORB International poll of 1,011 adults across all of Syria's 14 governorates, 64% of Syrians said that Iran's influence on their country was "negative only", while 32% replied Iran's influence was "positive only".[121] Various factions of the Assad regime and many Ba'ath party supporters have also demanded the withdrawal of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed Khomeinist militant groups from Syria.[122]

Casualties

[edit]
Iranian casualties bodies return to Kermanshah, August 2016

Despite Iran's costly presence in Syria, public support for military involvement in Syria remains strong among the Iranians because of religious motivations and security concerns.[123] From January 2013 to March 2017, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps lost 2,100 soldiers in Syria and 7,000 wounded, according to Iran's veterans' affairs office. These included 418 ranking officers and several generals.[124][125] In August 2017, Brigadier General Hamid Abazari stated that 25% of the soldiers that Iran had sent to Syria had been killed or wounded,[126][127] implying several tens of thousands had served. In March 2019, IRGC officer and strategist Hassan Abbasi stated that 2,300 Iranians "went to Syria where they were martyred in recent years."[35] Ali Alfoneh of The Washington Institute for Near East Policy documented a minimum of 559 Iranian combat fatalities as of early 2018[128] based on surveying funeral services in Iran.[129]

Thousands of Iranian-backed Afghan, Lebanese, Iraqi, Yemeni, Pakistani and other militia fighters have also been killed after joining IRGC-sponsored paramilitary organizations. The Afghans are recruited largely from Hazara refugees in Iran, and some had combat experience before joining; their relation to the Iranian military is only vaguely acknowledged and sometimes denied, despite the troops being uniformed fighters led by IRGC officers, trained and equipped in Iran, with state funerals involving uniformed IRGC personnel.[130] Among the dead are 2,000+ Afghans[36] and at least 160 Pakistanis.[131][132] Officially, the Afghan paramilitaries are part of the independent Liwa Fatemiyoun group, while the Pakistanis are part of the Liwa Zainebiyoun group. These militias have also incurred heavy losses, with Liwa Fatemiyoun alone reporting over 10,000 casualties (2,000+ killed, 8,000+ wounded) by January 2018.[36]

Despite Iran's costly presence in Syria and rising casualties, polls in 2017 showed that majority of Iranians were in favour of military involvement in Syria because of "religious motivations" and "security concerns".[133]

Notable officer deaths

[edit]

Iran

[edit]
Name Rank and affiliation Date Place
Qodratollah Mansouri[134] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 15 December 2018 Syria–Iraq border
Shahrokh Daipour[135] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 17 June 2018 Albu Kamal District, Syria
Mohsen Hojaji Third lieutenant, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 9 August 2017 Al Waleed border crossing, Syria
Ahmad Gholami[136] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 30 August 2016 Aleppo, Syria
Mohsen Ghitaslou First lieutenant, 65th Airborne Special Forces Brigade 11 April 2016 Syria
Mohsen Qajarian[137] Brigadier general, 1st Reza Armored Brigade 3 February 2016 Abu Kamal District, Syria
Abdolreza Mojiri[138] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 29 November 2015 Aleppo, Syria
Reza Khavari[139] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 23 October 2015 Hama, Syria
Hossein Hamadani Major general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 7 October 2015 Aleppo, Syria
Abdul Karim Ghobash[140] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 18 January 2015 Al-Zabadani, Syria
Mohammad Ali Allahdadi Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 18 January 2015 Quneitra province, Syria
Hamid Taqavi Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 27 December 2014 Samara, Iraq
Jabbar Darisawi[141] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 14 October 2014 Damascus Governorate, Syria
Abdullah Eskandari[142] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps May 2014 Damascus Governorate, Syria
Mohammad Jamali-Paqaleh Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps November 2013 Syria
Hassan Shateri Major general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 12 February 2013 Syria
Farhad Dabirian Commander, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 6 March 2020 Syria [143]
Razi Mousavi[144] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 25 December 2023 Sayyidah Zaynab, Rif Dimashq, Syria
Sadegh Omidzadeh[145] General, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 20 January 2024 Mezzeh, Damascus, Syria
Kioumars Pourhashemi[146] Brigadier general, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps 24 November 2024 Aleppo, Syria

Afghanistan

[edit]
Name Rank/Affiliation Date Place
Ali Reza Tavassoli Afghan Shia commander of Fatemiyoun Brigade 28 February 2015 Daraa, Syria

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Toumaj, Amir (3 August 2016). "Iranian military involvement in the battle for Aleppo". The Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Four Iranian officers killed in Aleppo". 3 August 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  3. ^ a b Fadel, Leith (8 August 2016). "Iraqi fighters pour into southern Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  4. ^ McDonnell, Patrick J.; Hennigan, W. J. (30 September 2015). "Russia launches airstrikes in Syria amid U.S. concern about targets". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 3 October 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  5. ^ Solomon, Erika (8 August 2016). "Outside help behind rebel advances in Aleppo". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 21 April 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  6. ^ Jaffe, Greg; Entous, Adam (19 July 2017). "Trump ends covert CIA program to arm anti-Assad rebels in Syria, a move sought by Moscow". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 20 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  7. ^ a b Thomas Joscelyn (7 August 2016). "Jihadists and other rebels claim to have broken through siege of Aleppo". The Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  8. ^ Charkatli, Izat (3 August 2016). "Another rebel group loses important commander in Aleppo". Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  9. ^ Cafarella, Jennifer (2014). "Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria: An Islamic Emirate for Al-Qaeda" (PDF). Middle East Security Report 25. Washington, DC: Institute for the Study of War: 8–46. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 February 2022.
  10. ^ Alkhshali, Starr, Hamdi, Barbara (28 February 2017). "Deputy al Qaeda leader killed In Syria". CNN. Archived from the original on 6 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ^ "Factions continue their most violent attack ever in the decisive battle at Aleppo and tens of airstrikes target the clashing areas". SOHR. 31 July 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  12. ^ "TÜRKİSTAN İSLAM CEMAATİ HALEP OPERASYONU – GANİMETLER VE ÖLDÜRÜLEN ESED MİLİTANLARI". Doğu Türkistan Bülteni Haber Ajansı. 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  13. ^ Joscelyn, Thomas (21 September 2021). "U.S. targets suspected al Qaeda leader in Idlib, Syria". Archived from the original on 23 September 2021.
  14. ^ "ISIS targeted in more U.S. airstrikes to defend Syria town of Kobani". CBS News. 11 October 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  15. ^ "France will keep delivering arms to Kurdish Syrian rebels to fight Islamic State group". Fox News. 24 March 2015. Archived from the original on 24 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  16. ^ "Peshmerga fighters 'heavily shelling' IS jihadists in Kobane". Yahoo News. 4 November 2014. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  17. ^ a b Karouny, Mariam (9 June 2013). "Syrian forces capture final rebel stronghold in Qusair region". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 June 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  18. ^ "Hezbollah Loses Supply Route Through Syria, in Blow to It and Iran". 14 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  19. ^ a b Fadel, Leith (7 September 2016). "Iranian, Syrian commanders meet to discuss upcoming Aleppo offensive". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  20. ^ "Soleimani's presence in Aleppo underscores strategy of crushing rebels - The Long War Journal". 7 September 2016. Archived from the original on 9 September 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  21. ^ "Three Iranian leaders have been killed in Syria's battles". El-Dorar Al-Shamia. 6 September 2016. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2016.
  22. ^ "Al-Qaeda's deputy leader 'killed in Syria'". Sky News Australia. 27 February 2017. Archived from the original on 27 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  23. ^ "Senior Nusra Front commander killed in Syria air strike". Al Jazeera. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  24. ^ "Air strike kills top commander of former Nusra group in Syria". Reuters. 9 September 2016. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  25. ^ "U.S. reportedly targets 2 senior al Qaeda figures in airstrike in Syria". FDD's Long War Journal. 14 June 2020.
  26. ^ "Syrian Kurdish forces reject regime request to leave positions in Aleppo". ARA News. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 28 September 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  27. ^ Wladimir van Wilgenburg (29 July 2017). "Rojava security official says Iranian project in Syria more dangerous than ISIS". ARA News. Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  28. ^ "Iran Says No Troops in Syria; Will Boost Support". Radiofreeeurope/Radioliberty. RFE/RL. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  29. ^ a b c d e Yahel, Ido (17 June 2021). "Iran in Syria: From Expansion to Entrenchment". Tel Aviv Notes. 15 (5): 1–2. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022 – via Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies.
  30. ^ What Does the Syrian War Mean for Afghanistan? Archived 20 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  31. ^ "Syrian rebels near Israel border ordered to surrender by regime forces". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  32. ^ Fadel, Leith (29 August 2016). "Russian troops head to Aleppo City". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  33. ^ Fadel, Leith (30 August 2016). "Russian Army convoy arrives in Aleppo". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 30 August 2016. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
  34. ^ "Syrian Revolution 13 years on | Nearly 618,000 persons killed since the onset of the revolution in March 2011". SOHR. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  35. ^ a b IRGC Strategist Hassan Abbasi Praises Iranians Who Handed Over Their Own Children for Execution for Opposing the Regime, Says: 2,300 Iranians Were Killed in Syria War. MEMRI Reports. Twitter (video). Posted 12 March 2019. Accessed 14 March 2019.
  36. ^ a b c "2,000 Afghan soldiers killed in Syria". Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  37. ^ Clarke, Colin. A GLASS HALF EMPTY? TAKING STOCK OF HEZBOLLAH'S LOSSES IN SYRIA. Archived 26 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine 15 October 2017.
  38. ^ 2 killed (2012),[1] Archived 13 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine 1,200 (2013–Feb. 2016),[2] Archived 8 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine 12 killed (15 June 2016)[3] Archived 16 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine 13 killed (Aug. 2016),[4] 32 (19–20 Dec. 2016),[5][permanent dead link‍] 19 killed (March–Aug. 2017),[6] Archived 18 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine[7] 30 killed (16–21 Nov. 2017),[8] Archived 1 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine total of 1,308 reported killed
  39. ^ a b c Iranian Strategy in Syria Archived 1 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Institute for the Study of War, Executive Summary + Full report, May 2013
  40. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Iran boosts support to Syria Archived 11 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine, telegraph, 21 February 2014
  41. ^ a b c "How Iran Keeps Assad in Power in Syria". Inside Iran. 5 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 6 February 2012.
  42. ^ BBC Newsnight, report on Iranian military advisor Hadari, 28 October 2013 'Iran's Secret Army' [9] Archived 6 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, [10] Archived 2 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine
  43. ^ a b "Iran's stakes in Syria". GIS Reports. 28 October 2021. Archived from the original on 19 May 2023.
  44. ^ Fulton, Will; Holliday, Joseph; Wyer, Sam (May 2013). "Iranian strategy in Syria" (PDF). pp. 6–27. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2013.
  45. ^ a b "Syria's crisis: The long road to Damascus: There are signs that the Syrian regime may become still more violent", The Economist, 11 February 2012.
  46. ^ Goodarzi, Jubin (August 2013). "Iran and Syria at the Crossroads: The Fall of the Tehran-Damascus Axis?" (PDF). Viewpoints. Wilson Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 June 2015.
  47. ^ "Israel at UN: Iran has more than 80,000 fighters in Syria". The Times of Israel.
  48. ^ a b c d e f g Iran boosts military support in Syria to bolster Assad Archived 22 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Reuters, 21 February 2014
  49. ^ "Hezbollah Loses Supply Route Through Syria, in Blow to It and Iran". 14 December 2024. Archived from the original on 17 December 2024. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  50. ^ The Interim Finance Minister: 15 Billion Dollars Iranian Support to Assad[usurped]; syrianef; 24, January 2014
  51. ^ Iran Spends Billions to Prop Up Assad Archived 26 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Bloomberg View, 9 June 2015.
  52. ^ Borzou Daragahi. "Iran Wants to Stay in Syria Forever." Archived 7 January 2019 at the Wayback Machine Foreign Policy. 1 June 2018.
  53. ^ Outlaw Regime: A Chronicle of Iran's Destructive Activities. U.S. Department of State. November 2018. Pages 11, 39.
  54. ^ راستی‌آزمایی: هزینه جنگ سوریه برای ایران چقدر است؟ [How much is the cost of Syria's war for Iran?]. BBC News فارسی. British Broadcasting Corporation. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  55. ^ "Through Evangelism and Settlements, Iran Is Remaking Syria in Its Image". Mosaic. 24 January 2023. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023.
  56. ^ "Iran Admits to Conducting 700 Drone Attacks in Syria." Archived 16 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine Al Araby. 16 October 2018. Accessed 17 October 2018.
  57. ^ "Syria has 830 foreign military sites. 70% belong to Iran". Al Majalla. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  58. ^ a b Fassihi, Farnaz; Bergman, Ronen (6 December 2024). "Iran Begins to Evacuate Military Officials and Personnel From Syria". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  59. ^ Holliday, Joseph (March 2012). "Syria's Armed Opposition" (PDF). Middle East Security Report 3. Institute for the Study of War: 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  60. ^ Moghtader, Michelle (4 April 2014). "Iran does not seek indefinite power for Assad, senior diplomat says". The Daily Star (Lebanon). Archived from the original on 5 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
  61. ^ "Syria crisis: Obama condemns 'outrageous' use of force". BBC News. 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 5 September 2011. Retrieved 11 September 2011.
  62. ^ Navon, Emmanuel (27 March 2011). "Iran, Hezbollah assisting in Syria protest suppression". Jerusalem Post. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  63. ^ Tisdall, Simon (9 May 2011). "Iran helping Syrian regime crack down on protesters, say diplomats". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  64. ^ "Syrian army being aided by Iranian forces". The Guardian. 28 May 2012. Archived from the original on 28 May 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  65. ^ "Iran's Hizbullah sends more troops to help Assad storm Aleppo, fight Sunnis". World Tribune. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 8 March 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  66. ^ Gordon, Michael R. (4 September 2012). "Iran Supplying Syrian Military via Iraqi Airspace". The New York Times. New York Times. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
  67. ^ "Iran warships enter Mediterranean via Suez Canal". BBC News. 18 February 2012. Archived from the original on 21 February 2012. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  68. ^ Warrick, Joby; Sly, Liz (2 March 2012). "U.S. officials: Iran is stepping up lethal aid to Syria". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 19 August 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  69. ^ "Iran 'sending arms to Syria despite ban'". Al Jazeera. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  70. ^ Charbonneau, Louis (16 May 2012). "Exclusive: Iran flouts U.N. sanctions, sends arms to Syria: panel". Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 May 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  71. ^ "Weapons being smuggled both ways between Lebanon and Syria: U.N. envoy". Al Arabiya. 9 May 2012. Archived from the original on 17 August 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  72. ^ Schmitt, Eric (21 June 2012). "C.I.A. Said to Aid in Steering Arms to Syrian Opposition". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
  73. ^ Aneja, Atul (27 July 2012). "Iran pledges solid support amid escalating Syrian offensive". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 13 September 2013.
  74. ^ "Iran accused of setting up pro-Assad militias". Al Jazeera. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  75. ^ "U.S. officials confirm captured Iranians in Syria are 'active' military: report". Al Arabiya. 15 August 2012. Archived from the original on 15 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
  76. ^ Coughlin, Con (6 September 2012). "Iran sends elite troops to aid Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  77. ^ Iranian drones guiding Syrian attacks, rebels say Archived 20 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, October 31, 2012
  78. ^ The Guardian, 9 January 2013, Assad regime frees more than 2,000 people believed to have opposition links in exchange for 48 detained Iranians Archived 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  79. ^ "Foul weather strands freed Iranian prisoners in Syria". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  80. ^ Fisk, Robert (16 June 2013). "Iran to send 4,000 troops to aid President Assad forces in Syria". The Independent. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  81. ^ Neriah, Jacques (29 May 2013). "Iranian Forces on the Golan?". JCPA. Archived from the original on 19 September 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
  82. ^ "Iran reportedly sending 4,000 troops to Syria, proposes front against Israel to protect Assad". Haaretz. 16 June 2013. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  83. ^ Fox/AP (16 June 2013). "Iran reportedly preparing to send 4,000 troops into Syria". Fox News. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  84. ^ Filkins, Dexter| "The Shadow Commander Archived 28 June 2014 at the Wayback Machine" The New Yorker, 30 September 2013.
  85. ^ "Iran buries Guards commander 'killed in Syria'". BBC News. 5 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  86. ^ Saeed Kamali Dehghan (14 February 2013). "Elite Iranian general assassinated near Syria-Lebanon border". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 6 November 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  87. ^ Dagher, Sam and Fitch Asa. Iran Expands Role in Syria in Conjunction With Russia's Airstrikes Archived 30 November 2017 at the Wayback Machine Wall Street Journal, 2 October 2015.
  88. ^ "Iran's evolving policy in Iraq and Syria". Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  89. ^ [11] Archived 26 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine[12] Archived 1 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine[13] Archived 1 February 2016 at the Wayback Machine[14] Archived 20 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine[15]
  90. ^ Peterson, Scott (30 May 2014). "Behind Syrian regime, a familiar US adversary: Iran". Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  91. ^ "Iran is taking over Assad's fight in crucial parts of Syria". Business Insider. 8 June 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  92. ^ a b "How Iranian general plotted out Syrian assault in Moscow". Reuters. 6 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  93. ^ Jay Solomon; Sam Dagher (21 September 2015). "Russia, Iran Seen Coordinating on Defense of Assad Regime in Syria". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  94. ^ "Israeli official: Iran mastermind went to Russia". Business Insider. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  95. ^ Leith Fadel (26 September 2015). "Russian Marines and Iranian Revolutionary Guardsmen Build a Protectorate in Western Syria". Al-Masdar News. Archived from the original on 29 September 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  96. ^ "Iranian troops prepare to aid Russia with Syrian ground assault, officials say". Fox News Channel. Archived from the original on 27 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  97. ^ Bassam, Laila.Reuters.com Assad allies, including Iranians, prepare ground attack in Syria: sources Archived 11 November 2015 at the Wayback Machine Reuters.com, 1 October 2015
  98. ^ EVANS AND AL-KHALIDI, SULEIMAN, DOMINIC. "Assad says Russian air campaign vital to save Middle East". Reuters. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2015.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  99. ^ Hafezi, Parisa (9 October 2015). "Iranian Revolutionary Guards general killed in Syria -IRGC". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 December 2015. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  100. ^ Lizzie Dearden (9 October 2015). "Iranian commander Brigadier General Hossein Hamedani killed by Isis while advising Syrian regime". The Independent. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
  101. ^ McConnell, Dugald; Todd, Brian (9 October 2015). "U.S. official: 'Psychological blow' in ISIS killing of Iranian general in Syria". CNN. Archived from the original on 18 October 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  102. ^ "Two more Iranian commanders killed in Syria". Al Jazeera. 13 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 October 2015. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  103. ^ "Arch-rivals Saudi Arabia, Iran to discuss Syria face-to-face for first time". Reuters. 28 October 2015. Archived from the original on 29 October 2015. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  104. ^ "Syria's War: A Guide to Who Wants What at Vienna Peace Talks". Bloomberg.com. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 9 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017 – via Bloomberg.
  105. ^ "Rancor Between Saudi Arabia and Iran Threatens Talks on Syria". The New York Times. 29 October 2015. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  106. ^ "Iran says may quit Syria talks, in worsening spat with Saudi rival". Reuters. 2 November 2015. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
  107. ^ "Iran hints at quitting Syria talks amid spat with Saudi Arabia". Deutsche Welle. 2 November 2015. Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  108. ^ Sharafedin, Bozorgmehr (22 November 2016). "Death toll among Iran's forces in Syrian war passes 1,000". Reuters. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020.
  109. ^ "Iran's Revolutionary Guard strikes Syria for Tehran attacks". CNBC. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  110. ^ "The missile operation of Sepah was done under the order of the supreme leader of Iran". alef.ir. Archived from the original on 20 February 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2019.
  111. ^ "Missile operation". farsnews.com. Retrieved 20 February 2019.[permanent dead link‍]
  112. ^ "Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria in response to rocket fire". BBC News. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  113. ^ "Israel Confirms Another Attack on Iranian Targets in Syria". New York Times. 20 January 2018. Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  114. ^ "Turkish drones and artillery resume targeting regime's military vehicles and positions in Idlib countryside". Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 3 March 2020.
  115. ^ "Report: Iran Revolutionary Guard Commander Killed in Syria". The New York Times. 7 March 2020.
  116. ^ "Iranian military commander killed in Syria". Al Arabiya. 19 March 2020.
  117. ^ "مصرع مستشار إيراني في حلب.. كيف قُتل؟". sy-24.com (in Arabic). 15 May 2020.
  118. ^ Hashem, Ali (15 November 2021). "IRGC Syria commander removed 'upon request from Assad'". Al-Monitor. Archived from the original on 25 May 2022.
  119. ^ Rafizadeh, Majid (24 November 2016). "Iran's Forces Outnumber Assad's in Syria". Gatestone institute. Archived from the original on 2 June 2017.
  120. ^ Merkel, Wolfgang; Kollmorgen, Raj; Wagener, Hans-Jürgen (2019). The Handbook of Political, Social, and Economic Transformation. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780192565464.
  121. ^ NEW ORB POLL: 52% SYRIANS BELIEVE ASSAD REGIME WILL WIN THE WAR Archived 9 November 2019 at the Wayback Machine. ORB International. 15 March 2018.
  122. ^ Porter, Lizzie (5 October 2020). "How the Arab world turned against Hezbollah". Prospect Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 May 2023.
  123. ^ Asadzade, Peyman (19 October 2017). "Analysis - Iran's involvement in Syria is costly. Here's why most Iranians still support it". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  124. ^ Tehran: 2,100 Iranian soldiers killed in Syria and Iraq Archived 14 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine.
  125. ^ Taheri, Amir. "Exclusive: Why Iran's Intervention in Syria Proved so Costly." Archived 24 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine 14 March 2018. Accessed 15 March 2019.
  126. ^ الشامية, محرر الدرر (30 August 2017). "عميد إيراني يكشف عن إحصائية بأعداد قتلى بلاده في سوريا". الدرر الشامية. Archived from the original on 7 February 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  127. ^ Cited video.
  128. ^ "Foreign Shiite combat fatalities in Syria since January 19, 2012 and nationality". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  129. ^ "Iranian Casualties in Syria and the Strategic Logic of Intervention" Archived 15 July 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Institute, 11 March 2016
  130. ^ "Iran's Afghan Shiite Fighters in Syria" Archived 24 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine, Washington Institute, 3 June 2015
  131. ^ @Alfoneh (8 January 2018). "Shiite Pakistani combat fatalities in Syria since November 22, 2014: 153. January 2018: 3" (Tweet). Retrieved 8 January 2018 – via Twitter.
  132. ^ "IRAN: Another IRGC commander killed in Syria". ncr-iran.org. December 2015. Archived from the original on 14 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
  133. ^ Asadzade, Peyman (19 October 2017). "Analysis - Iran's involvement in Syria is costly. Here's why most Iranians still support it". Archived from the original on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 21 October 2017 – via www.WashingtonPost.com.
  134. ^ "Iran Guards General Dies of Self-Inflicted Accidental Gunshot: Report." Archived 17 December 2018 at the Wayback Machine U.S. News & World Report. 16 December 2018. Accessed 16 March 2019.
  135. ^ "Iranian general killed in Syria." Archived 27 September 2018 at the Wayback Machine Jordan Times. Original: AFP. 24 June 2018. Accessed 16 March 2019.
  136. ^ Iranian General Killed During Battle In Aleppo Archived 12 March 2017 at the Wayback Machine: "Iranian state media reports say a retired Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) general has been killed while battling against Islamic militants in northern Syria. The Fars news agency, which is closely affiliated with the IRGC, reported on August 31 that General Ahmad Gholami was killed on August 30 while fighting against Sunni militants in Aleppo." 31 August 2016. Accessed 16 March 2019.
  137. ^ "Iranian general killed in Syria." Archived 12 August 2018 at the Wayback Machine Farsnews. 4 February 2016. Accessed 16 March 2019. Excerpt: "Brigadier General Mohsen Qajarian, the commander of Imam Reza Armored Brigade 1 from Neishabour, Northeastern Iran, was martyred in an attack by the ISIL Takfiri terrorists while on duty."
  138. ^ 3 Sunni Iranians, 1 General Matyred in Syria. Archived 13 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Farsnws. 29 November 2015. Accessed 16 March 2019.
  139. ^ Two IRGC officers killed in Syria. Archived 19 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine Farsnews. 3 November 2015. Accessed 16 March 2019. Excerpt: "Brigadier General Reza Khavari, the senior commander of IRGC's Fatemiyoun Division, was martyred in clashes with Takfiri terrorists in the Northern parts of the province of Hama, Central Syria, while fulfilling his duty as a military adviser."
  140. ^ Iranian #IRGC General AbdulKarim Ghobash, killed by Rebels in the ongoing battle in #Zabadani city.
  141. ^ Iranian top military commander killed in Syria Archived 11 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine: "Iran's state agency confirmed that a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander, brigadier general Jabbar Darisawi has been killed in Syria. IRNA reported on Oct.17 that the body of general Darisawi was buried in Ahvaz Province on Thursday, but didn't mention when the top commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed. IRNA reported that the general was killed in an effort "defending the Sayyidah Zaynab Mosque"." Trend News Agency. 17 October 2014. Accessed 16 March 2019.
  142. ^ Axe, David. "Iran Transformed Syria's Army into a Militia That Will Help Assad Survive Another Year." Archived 16 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine Reuters. 16 December 2014. Accessed 16 March 2019. Excerpt: "In May, a rebel sniper killed Iranian General Abdullah Eskandari in battle near Damascus. Opposition fighters seized Eskandari's notebook and published its contents online, including a frank description of the Syrian army's "dissipation and disintegration" in Hama province in west-central Syria. It's safe to assume the army was in a similarly poor state in other provinces."
  143. ^ Iran Guard's Commander Dies In Syria In Possible 'Assassination'
  144. ^ Hashem, Ali (25 December 2023). "Inside story: Airstrike kills Iran's 'most influential' commander in Syria". Amwaj.media. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  145. ^ "Who is Sadegh Omidzadeh, the senior intelligence officer of Iran who was assassinated by Israel?". rouydad24. (in Persian). 20 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  146. ^ Salem, Mostafa (28 November 2024). "Syria's rebels exploit weaknesses in Iran's proxies to launch surprise offensive". CNN. Retrieved 7 December 2024.

Further reading

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iranian_intervention_in_the_Syrian_civil_war&oldid=1265807500"