Iran has been emboldened by Syrian earthquake – Israeli analyst  

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – Despite regional rapprochement and protests at home, Iran is emboldened to continue its aggressive policies, argues Seth Frantzman, a Syria analyst with the Jerusalem Post.

A Reuters investigation published this week alleges Iran used relief aid flights to Syria to carry weapons to the country in the aftermath of the February 6 earthquake. “Iran’s goal was not to help Syrians, but to use Syrians and endanger them further by moving weapons,” argues Frantzman.

Iran’s shipment reportedly included radar batteries and spare parts for an upgraded air-defense system in Syria. Iran has been one of President Bashar al-Assads few allies throughout a 12-year civil war. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, a special military detachment, has trained and funded thousands of militiamen in the country.

Iranian forces are also present on the ground in Syria. They control the Deir ez-Zor region, as well as Syria’s south, the Damascus region, and the region around Aleppo.

Frantzman argues that Iran purposely shipped the weapons through Aleppo International Airport – something it had not done before despite having a presence at the airport – to give the shipment the cover of earthquake aid, as well as to remain far away from Israeli monitoring. Israel conducted airstrikes in Syria following the arms flight.

Frantzman says that Iran is “emboldened”. Three weeks ago, Iranian-backed groups carried out multiple attacks, including a drone attack, against US forces in Syria, killing an American contractor and injuring US military personnel.

The weapons shipment could put the government in Damascus and its bid to normalize relations with the international community in jeopardy, says Frantzman. “While the Syrian regime was working on normalization, Iran was moving weapons to Syria. This creates instability for the Syrian regime. It also undermines the regime’s narrative that it is the ‘government’ of Syria.”

“The post-earthquake period has actually eroded the Syrian regime’s control and yet at the same time paradoxically, the regime has been rewarded by several important Arab states, without any clear demand that Iran reduce its weapons smuggling,” Frantzman concludes, alluding to the recent rapprochement between Damascus and Saudi Arabia, as well as Jordan, Egypt and the UAE.

Reporting by Sasha Hoffman