Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force newly-appointed commander, Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani, has paid a visit to Syria.
The visit was reported by several Iranian sources, which released a photo of Ghaani on the frontline in the northern Syrian governorate of Aleppo on March 6. The commander was photographed during the meeting with several unknown figures inside a room.
Quds Force Commander Brig. Gen. Esmail Ghaani. Source:(@Sardar_Ghaani) on Telegram
Ghaani succeeded former Quds Force commander Brig. Gen. Qassam Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike on the Baghdad Airport in January 2020.
The commander’s visit to Aleppo came after a fierce battle between the SAA and Turkish forces. IRGC-affiliated groups, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, lost dozens of fighters in the battle, which took place in the Greater Idlib region.
Recently, several Syrian opposition sources claimed that the IRGC is deploying additional troops around Greater Idlib. While Ghaani’s visit doesn’t confirm this, it is for sure a sign that the IRGC keeps a close eye on Turkish forces in the region.
Earlier, the Iranian operations room in Syria warned the Turkish military from attacking its forces in Greater Idlib, stressing that it was more than capable to respond.
