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130,000 Pro-Regime Fighters.. Khamenei Threatens New Damascus Governance with Popular Uprising
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Iran's Training of 130,000 Syrian Elements Indicates Long-Term Plan to Create Parallel Military Arm Similar to Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq
Tensions escalated between Tehran and the interim Syrian government, with Iranian statements rejecting the new political situation following the end of strategic ally Bashar al-Assad's rule and his refuge in Russia.
Tehran's hardline stance emerged through Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's speeches, threatening to "liberate" Syrian areas through what he described as "brave Syrian youth", adding a veiled threat to the new administration: "Do not be deceived by those who boast today.. Those who roam and boast today will one day be trampled under the feet of believers".
An Iranian Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee member, Ahmad Bakhshayesh Ardestani, revealed approximately 130,000 Syrian elements trained by General Qassem Soleimani, mostly from Shia and Alawite sects.
The Iranian parliamentarian questioned the possibility of forming a comprehensive democratic governance in Syria, anticipating continued and escalating armed conflicts, indicating difficulties in disarming various components like Kurds, Druze, Alawites, and secular groups.
Ardestani explained that Russia will not easily relinquish its influence in Syria, highlighting the importance of Syrian ports for Russian Mediterranean access, while accusing the United States of seeking to establish an independent Kurdish entity.
The Iranian official discussed the "Syrian resistance" that failed to integrate into the Syrian army unlike Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, leading to its role's decline during recent confrontations.
He acknowledged Iran's current Syria policy as calculated silence, denying this stems from indifference, indicating no desire to create additional challenges for Syria's complex situation.
Ardestani justified Khamenei's statements about a "Syrian youth uprising" as highlighting the new government's inability to face upcoming challenges, expecting opposition organizations to form automatically due to difficult security and living conditions.
Levant-Agencies
