By Ardo Juweid
ALEPPO, Syria (North Press) – Iranian forces moved their military personnel and equipment from the city of Aleppo, northwestern Syria, following the escalating war between Israel and Hamas.
An interpreter for Iranian forces and Iranian-backed groups under the umbrella of the Syrian government forces said that Iranian-backed militias have been continuously changing their posts in the past few days in response to recent events.
The interpreter, who preferred to remain unnamed, told North Press that Iran has decided to consolidate its presence in Syria and intensify efforts to support the militias fighting alongside with it in areas under its control.
Redeploying military forces
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7 and the subsequent increasing tension on the Syrian-Iraqi border, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been reinforcing its military posts on the Ithriyah road in the southeast of Aleppo towards central Syria, according to the interpreter.
He emphasized that Iranian forces in Aleppo have deployed around 2,000 Syrian militants within their ranks to a base called al-Malef, and 8,000 others to the countryside of Hama, west central Syria, and the Homs desert, central of Syria, in the area stretching between al-Sukhnah and Tayba, all the way to their posts in the countryside of Deir ez-Zor.
Flights between Syria and Iran ceased after Israeli airstrikes targeted Aleppo and Damascus International airports on Oct. 25 and put them completely out of service.
Iran seeks to reinforce its militias in areas it controls in Syria after Russian forces allowed the usage of the Palmyra airbase, which is controlled by the Wagner Group, a paramilitary organization funded by the Russian state. Due to its geographical location, Iran seeks to bring weapons, equipment through the airbase, and move its militants between Syria and Iran, according to the interpreter.
He noted that the militias were deployed from Aleppo to the Syrian Desert to protect the new supply routes from attacks carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) militants.
Last week, ISIS militants launched several attacks on the government forces and affiliated armed groups of the National Defense Forces (NDF) in the Syrian Desert. The attacks resulted in the killing of more than 30 military personnel, and continue to occur from time to time.
Regional Tension
Iran took advantage of the ongoing tension between Israel and Hamas and its increasing activities in Syria to strengthen its military presence in the al-Sukhnah area and Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria.
Iranian-backed militias in Syria and Iraq targeted US-led Global Coalition bases in eastern Syria in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Various statements were made by Iranian officials, suggesting that international support for the war against Gaza could lead to the involvement of the Axis of Resistance in a broader regional war extending to Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon. The tension between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah in southern Lebanon resulted in many casualties among its militants. Hezbollah is supported by both the Syrian and Iranian governments to serve as the vanguard in the war on their behalf, face-saving for the Axis of Resistance.
Raouf al-Ali, a lawyer and political analyst in Aleppo, said these escalations raise concerns for neighboring countries, especially Egypt and Jordan about the possible spillover of the conflict and the expansion of Iran’s influence and threats. He added that Israel is a strong ally of the US-led Global Coalition and has called for deterring the Iranian expansion in Syria and neighboring countries.
Al-Ali told North Press that the situation remains unclear, and hence tension in regional relations continues due to the Iranian military movements and escalations in Syria. He added that they will wait for the situation to unfold and how the involved parties will deal with this current escalation.
Iranian officials have not officially made statements on these movements in Aleppo, however they occurred following the recent escalating tensions in the region.
Gaza has witnessed an intense escalation between Palestinians and Israelis, resulting in numerous civilians casualties on both sides of the conflict.
Al-Ali highlighted that Iran’s movement in Aleppo may indicate further escalation of events and actions that could impact the security status in the region as a whole.