Thousands of Iranian troops are being deployed to the front lines of northern Syria to take part in a Russian-backed offensive on Aleppo.
The deployment reflects Iran’s deepening involvement in the ground war in Syria since Russia began its aerial bombardment of anti-regime rebels more than two weeks ago.
Thousands of Iranian troops have been flown into an airbase in Latakia for deployment to the front lines in Idlib, where heavy fighting with rebels is under way. Others are being moved towards Aleppo, where they will join a ground offensive involving regime forces and Hezbollah fighters in the coming days, according to Iranian sources.
Iran has long denied that it has ground troops in Syria, insisting that it only has military advisers with foreign militias allied to the Assad regime, including Hezbollah, as well as the regime itself.
The death of three officers from Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guard in the past week, however, including a senior general from the secretive Quds Force, has underlined Iran’s growing battlefield involvement since the Russian intervention.
Advertisement
“It is no longer hidden that thousands of Iranians are now in Syria and their role is fundamental,” a regional official close to the Assad regime told Reuters.
Russia weighed into the conflict after the Quds Force chief, General Qassem Soleimani, flew to Moscow in July to warn the Kremlin that the survival of the regime was in doubt.
Iranian sources said there were signs of growing tension between Russia and Iran, with the Russians scornful of Iranian failure to prevent the loss of vital territory before their intervention.
While Russia has ruled out putting ground troops into combat, the new offensive will place Iranian troops in their most vulnerable frontline positions yet.
Until now, they have been protected by three rings of other fighters: Syrian army troops, foreign Shia militias and Hezbollah. The new formations are said to be causing concern for General Soleimani, who fears his troops are overexposed.