Iranian-backed forces have relocated some of their headquarters in the southern countryside of Syria’s Deir Ezzor, the Syria Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on January 22.
According to the London-based monitoring group, Iranian-backed forces withdrew from the district of al-Tmuo in al-Mayadeen, which was known as their “security zone,” to the newly-built headquarters in the city’s outskirt.
“The pro-Iranian militias unexpectedly removed offices and the headquarters’ weapons and furniture from the said district, yesterday,” the SOHR’s report reads.
Several Iranian-backed groups, including Liwa Zainebiyoun and Liwa Fatemiyoun, are currently deployed in southern Deir Ezzor in order to counter ISIS as well as to secure the strategic highway leading to the border line with Iraq.
Click to see full-size map. Source: (@Suriyakmaps) on Twitter.
In last few months, pro-opposition sources reported dozens of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian-backed forces in southern Deir Ezzor. Most of these claims turned out to be nothing but fake news. However, a few of them were confirmed.
The relocation of Iranian forces’ headquarters is most likely nothing more than a defensive measure. The step will also facilitate the return of locals to al-Mayadeen.
Maybee the locals still being there should be asked.
Do Danes read English articles backwards, or just you? “The step will also facilitate the return of locals to al-Mayadeen.”
Don’t bother teaching him semantics, he uses Google translate to communicate, some of his sentences are unbelievable.
You should be asking why did they have to leave in the first place, that’s the important question.
moron……
The locals are killing the Iranian backed militias Jens, and they’re doing it with Russian approval, it’s the Russian backed militias objecting to their intrusion and they’re killing them for it, not just objecting.
Come on SF, it’s time you started telling us readers the truth about Russia and Iran, if you don’t you’re going to look awfully stupid when it does become general knowledge. Putin’s probably pulling his hair out right now, the Iranians have everything they need to set up their side of the new Turkish/Iranian trade route, LOL, and all they need to do now is to get Turkey into northern Deir ez Zor like they want to, and then it’s full steam ahead, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey will be linked like never before, but poor old Russia’s being left out, mmmm, I don’t think Putin’s going to be too happy about this. I wonder if Putin’s expecting a false flag attack by Turkey somewhere in northern Deir ez Zor really soon, I am, LOL. That article in SF a few months ago where they spoke about the Russian’s being angry about comments that a member of the Turkish government made, and also said the Russian were fully aware that the Turks were just using the Kurdish problem as an excuse to expedite another agenda, and also said that the Russians were going to do something to outmaneuver the Turks, well it seems it hasn’t worked, the Turks and Iranians are halfway to their desired outcome already, and the Russians are being left way out behind. I’m watching northern Deir ez Zor very closely now, Erdogan would just love any little excuse to invade and take over all of Deir ez Zor above the Euphrates, I hope the Russians have plenty of people stationed there.
Iran’s reached it’s used by date now and should be put in the bin, if it’s kept on the shelf for too much longer it’ll start to contaminate all the rest of the supplies. Iran is no longer helping the situation in Syria, it’s actually making it worse now, and if it’s not helping the situation it should just get out. Thanked and then asked to leave nicely.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/f97d98ef2100d1fd59d3f94fc2577c853b8091ccbd661bb92adbba6ffb676a4f.png
That’s the main reason they should be put in the bin, the only 2 things Iran’s actually doing in Syria now is upsetting both the Israelis and the Russians, that’s the only 2 thing it does in Syria now. And judging by your childish and ignorant cartoon, I can safely assume you intend slurring me with a pro Israeli bias for my comment, but in fact it’s Russia’s best interests I’m most concerned about, but you’re obviously too stupid to understand that, so I won’t bother trying to explain anything to you, you can find out for yourself just how ignorant you are when things become a little more obvious to the mentally challenged.
how are they making it worse? you said yourself they are setting up their side of a trade route with turkey. in fact i think russia is making it worse by constantly allowing erdoshit to have ceasefires whenever and wherever he wants whenever SAA is winning
All these idiots that keep saying Iran and Hezbollah are Russia’s friends and allies in Syria have no idea what they’re talking about, and as to helping Assads, what idiots they are for saying that too, the fact is the Iranians are only helping themselves now, NO ONE ELSE, well except for Turkey that is. The reason Putin keeps agreeing to these ceasefires is because both Iran and Turkey have Putin over a barrel, It’s not just Turkey asking Putin to enforce the ceasefires, it’s in Iran’s best interests too, but not Russia or Syria’s best interests though.
Read this article in full of you want to know the truth, but just remember this, the Russians are trying not to offend Iran and this is just a sanitised version of the truth, the Russians are restrained in what they can say due to political sensitivities, but if you bother to check what other independent sources say you’ll find out a lot more.
https://disq.us/url?url=https%3A%2F%2Frussiancouncil.ru%2Fen%2Fanalytics-and-comments%2Fanalytics%2Fevolution-of-the-syrian-military-main-trends-and-challenges%2F%3ASKNY96Hhi95W5a_jYcVK3ermyzg&cuid=3606370
“In addition, some of the most efficient pro-government militia groups enjoy sponsorship from abroad, particularly from Iran. It creates quite big risk of becoming over-reliant on the foreign patron that pursues its own interests which might not always coincide with those of the client. At the same time, it creates a number of quite big obstacles for moving forward with the political process and reforms in Syria. Excessive Iranian presence in Syria irritates Israel, the US, Turkey, Russia, and even Damascus itself. Being weak and with no foreign alternative to rely on regarding the funds for reconstruction, Syrian government is pushed closer to Iran. As a result, progress in political process, reconstruction, and return of the refugees seems highly impossible, as all of it requires broad international involvement. Who will sponsor restoration of the Syrian military? First, in the last seven years Iran has heavily invested in Syria creating sophisticated multi-layered presence and it is extremely unlikely that Tehran will leave the country without return on its investments. It has already struck a deal with Damascus which grants Tehran exclusive right to assist in rebuilding Syrian military industry and infrastructure. The situation creates additional risks for the Syrian state. Excessive Iranian presence in Syria will be the major irritant for Israel and the US that almost certainly excludes any lift of Syria sanctions which are necessary for the successful reconstruction and economic restoration of the country. Second, Iran’s presence irritates Moscow which has its own military infrastructure in Syria. Excessive Iranian presence in the country is counter-productive for Russia’s long-term Syria policy which eventually envisages political transition, reforms and reconciliation with the regional powers and the West. From the very beginning, deployment of the Russian military was a double-edge sword. Since 2015 Moscow has been trying to minimize the influence of various non-state armed groups and militias fighting for the government, as quite often their own interests did dominate over that of the country. Only under strong and effective state central command armed forces can effectively fulfil their tasks which is now not the case in Syria. In 2015, Moscow initiated formation of the 4 th corps which consisted of different militia and armed groups operating in Latakia and was under direct command of the SAA. Later in 2016, Russia created and trained 5th Corps which unites different NDF groups and former Syrian army defectors who decided to realign. In 2015, Russian military helped to restructure Tiger Forces and since then has been providing weapons, advisors and air support. This was an important step to break the trend promoted by Iran — creating and developing parallel non-state military structures which have no direct subordination to the Syrian state (e.g. Iran took part in formation and training of NDF) and more loyal to Tehran than to Damascus. In such context, there is an opportunity to attract foreign sources to restore Syrian army and to reconstruct the country. The GCC and Israel should be very much interested in rebuilding Syria with lesser Iranian presence. By helping out Russia to accomplish this task regional players impose indirect limits on Iran’s presence in Syria. With no foreign assistance Tehran receives more room to grow its influence in the country further. This might well help Moscow to make sure the new Syrian army is free from Iranian influence or is at least not dominated. The stronger the army and the central government — the lesser it needs foreign partner to rely on. Moreover, in the MENA region armies also play a role of state-building element — which makes successful military reform crucial for a country’s restoration. Otherwise, Iran has quite good prospects of increasing its influence in Syria and stimulating further rise of sectarianism in the country. Thus, Russia should exploit this opportunity to counter balance Iranian influence in Syria’s military with the help of the foreign donors whose funds will assist in restoring and reforming country’s military and central command system. Although this task sounds very ambitious it remains achievable: Russia has already proved its ability to strike deals with regional actors, including cash-rich GCC states, despite many differences and disagreements. Such approach will help not only to find a compromise on Syria but also to restore cross-regional economic ties ruined during the war.
… The Russians are now in full gear doing exactly what this article said they should be doing, but as I said, do your own research if you want to know the whole truth, it’s a lot worse than this article asserts it is, this is just the Russians way of telling the truth without offending the Iranians. Remember Putin and Assad’s joke last week, “we should invite Trump to Damascus”, do you think the Iranians were laughing at that, no they wouldn’t be, they’d be rereading this part of the article I linked you,
“Thus, Russia should exploit this opportunity to counter balance Iranian influence in Syria’s military with the help of the foreign donors whose funds will assist in restoring and reforming country’s military and central command system.”
But I laughed when I read the joke, and I laughed because I realized it was no joke at all, it was a threat.
i think it was just a joke, why would putin want trump to come to syria, and why would trump want to go there? and iran has said many times they will leave if damascus asks them to leave. i dont see how or why iranian presence in syria is bad for anyone except US/israhell/GCC pimpdoms. all those countries wanted to see syria and assad fall and put in oodles of money into daesh and other shithadists to try to make that happen but it was all for naught, thank God.