Rezaie’s comments today were meant to dispel expectations that Iran was prepared to deploy tens of thousands of ground forces to Syria in response to recent battlefield victories by the opposition. The number of Quds Force and IRGC advisers and specialists currently deployed to Syria is probably in hundreds not thousands. The Quds Force has so far relied on Hezbollah and other foreign Shia militia fighters to provide the ground troops to do the fighting. Deploying thousands of ground troops would have been a major shift in that strategy, which has been in use for more than four years of the Syrian civil war.
File photo: IRGC Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaie (second from right) at a commencement ceremony at Imam Hossein Military academy in Tehran, 20 May 2015 (leader.ir/ISNA)
IRGC-QF has also relied on Syrian NDF and in cases elements of SyAA.. Expectations are that IRGC-QF is to be involved in defense of Syrian coastal province of Latakia.
ReplyDeleteDeploying ground forces at those numbers, especially to a country which does not border Iran, would indeed be a major change of strategy. I don't expect it happen, even in Latakia. Probably more QF advisers and other IRGC specialists. But the region's full of surprises!
Deleteit well may be that Iran's regime didn't plan to deploy gound forces in Syria...and merely got sucked into it as the Assad forces kept losing ground and deteriorating.
ReplyDeleteAssad is badly losing big time.The Islamic regime has no choice but to send their troops into Syria to defend their position against collapse in Tehran. Remember what mullah Tiyeb said as regards drawing a red line in Syria in defence of the Islamic regime in Tehran,"If we lose Syria we will lose in the streets of Tehran."
ReplyDeleteWhere are and what is going on with Generals like Firouzabadi or Ataollah Salehi ??
ReplyDelete