What Iran Is Signalling Since The Fall Of Syria’s Bashar al-Assad

Posted by: Eninu William in Uganda news December 11, 2024

Tehran, 11-Dec-2024 – Iran says it wants to maintain relations with Syria after the fall of major ally Bashar al-Assad. However, the opposition groups’ approach towards Israel would be crucial. Tehran has not commented on reports that it has established a direct line of dialogue with the armed groups. This group toppled Syria’s ruling family, which was allied with Iran for more than 40 years.

On Tuesday, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani called for “respect for Syria’s territorial integrity”. He said the Syrian people should decide their own fate.

Concerning Iran’s future relations with Syria, she said, “their distance from the Zionist regime” would be an important deciding factor.

‘Iranian interests in Syria’

Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), told lawmakers during a closed-door meeting in the parliament on Tuesday that no Iranian forces currently remain in Syria. He argued that this withdrawal did not mean Tehran’s power had been diminished. The general said Iranian forces were present in Syria until the last moments of al-Assad’s government.

Tehran had supported al-Assad since Syria’s war erupted in 2011. They provided him with fighters, weapons and military advice. This was in the form of an IRGC presence that aimed to keep al-Assad in power as well as maintain Tehran’s regional “axis of resistance” to Israel and the US.

Government spokesperson Mohajerani said 4,000 Iranian citizens had returned home from Syria on board 10 flights. This was organised by heavily sanctioned Iranian airline Mahan, since al-Assad’s overthrow.

They asked about the massive investment Iran made in propping up al-Assad and how that financial loss would affect the Iranian people. She insisted that the tens of billions of dollars Tehran spent were to support “national interests”.

Before the fall of Assad;

Before al-Assad fled, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi repeatedly called the opposition offensive. She said they were led by opposition armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Apparently, this is an “American-Zionist ploy” aiming to further destabilize the region amid the fallout of the Israeli war on Gaza.

After the opposition groups toppled the regime, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has instead focused its rhetoric on condemning Israel. They say it is “taking advantage of the complicated situation in Syria to exacerbate its genocide in Gaza”.

Iran’s statements came as Israel bombed Syrian infrastructure hundreds of times since Sunday. They hit at least 250 targets across Syria overnight on Monday alone in what Israeli media said was the biggest attack operation ever carried out by its air force.

Israel destroyed fighter jets and army helicopters in their air bases. It also targeted military research centres and weapons depots, and attacked Syrian army ships.

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