Iran-backed militias entered Syria from Iraq last night and are heading towards northern Syria to reinforce the besieged Syrian Army fighting the insurgents. Dozens of Iraqi militia fighters Hashd al-Shaabthe (the militia that has repeatedly attacked US bases in Iraq), aligned with Iran and coming from Iraq, entered Syria via a military route near the al-Bukamal crossing. But, according to what was also reported by Repubblica, American fighter planes conducted intense bombing in the al-Mayadin area in eastern Syria. The main targets would have been bases and convoys of the Iranian-backed Shiite militias, who fight alongside the Iranian regime. Bashar al-Assad. The use of A-10 Warthog fighters, equipped with powerful 30 mm cannons, would have caused a high number of victims among the ranks of the militias. If these attacks are confirmed they will represent an escalation in the Syrian conflict. And we could expect possible significant repercussions on the political and military situation in the region.
New Russian and Syrian attacks
Also this morning in Aleppo and Idlib there were several attacks by Russian and Syrian planes and according to the command of the Syrian Army cited by Tax «over 400 terrorists have been eliminated in the last few hours and the Syrian Air Force, supported by the Russian Aerospace Forces, eliminated 5 terrorist command posts, 7 depots in the provinces of Aleppo and Idlib in 24 hours». Still on the subject of Syria, some Russian war bloggers report that Moscow fired Sergei Kisel, the General at the head of its Forces in Syria, after the insurgents invaded the city of Aleppo. According to the Telegram channel Rybar (close to the Russian Ministry of Defense) and the blog Voenny Osvedomitel (Military informant) Kisel he would be replaced by the colonel general Alexander Chaiko. For over a decade, Russia has stood out as a major player in the Syrian conflict, consolidating its role as a key ally of the Syrian government. Bashar al-Assad. This support, which has taken political, economic and military forms, is motivated by a mix of strategic interests, geopolitical objectives and long-term ambitions that go well beyond the Syrian context.
However, relations between Russia and Syria date back to the Cold War period, when the Soviet Union was a crucial ally of Damascus, providing military support and economic assistance. After the Soviet collapse, Moscow maintained ties with Syria, albeit at a less intense level. However, 2011, with the outbreak of the Syrian civil war, marked a decisive turning point in the relationship between the two countries. Russia saw the Syrian conflict as an opportunity to reassert itself as a global power and counter what it sees as excessive Western interventionism. Moscow has forcefully defended the Assad regime at the United Nations, opposing resolutions that could have led to regime change but Vladimir Putin has always believed that Assad is a weak leader and unfit to lead Syria, as he did father Hafez al-Assad who led Syria with an iron fist from 1971 until his death at the age of 69 on 10 June 2000 from a heart attack that struck him while he was on the phone with Lebanese Prime Minister al-Huss. One of the most visible aspects of Russian support was direct military intervention in 2015. Under the pretext of fighting terrorism and stabilizing the Syrian government, Moscow sent troops, fighter jets and advanced air defense systems. This move not only saved Assad from a possible collapse, but also allowed Russia to establish a military presence in the area and today the Tartus and Hmeimim bases represent two strategic outposts. The Tartus naval base is Russia’s only access to the Mediterranean, while the Hmeimim air base offers a crucial point for military and logistical operations.
Iran’s moves
The other sponsor of the Assad regime is Iran which sent thousands of Shiite fighters to Syria during the Syrian war and, together with Russia with its air power, allowed Assad to crush the insurrection and reconquer most of its territory. Today the lack of men to help counter the rebel assault in recent days has contributed to the rapid retreat of the Syrian Army and the withdrawal from the city of Aleppo which is now in the hands of the jihadists of Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), a grouping of jihadist militias led by Saudi Abu Muhammad Jolanifounder in 2012 of the Syrian wing of al Qaeda (Jabhat al-Nusra) which he then abandoned to give life to a form of political jihadism based in the north-western Syrian region of Idlib. There has been no definitive news about him for days after a series of unconfirmed rumors circulated, according to which he died under Russian bombs in Idlib.
This morning the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchiarrived in Ankara a few hours after meeting Assad to talk about the surprise offensive by jihadist rebels in the north. The head of Iranian diplomacy is scheduled to meet with the Turkish Foreign Minister today, Hakan Fidanfollowed by talks with the president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Syria, interrupted in 2011 with the start of the civil war, have experienced years of tension, thanks to Erdogan’s support for the Syrian rebels opposed to the Assad regime. However, in recent months, the Turkish leader seems to be moving towards rapprochement with Damascus. Meanwhile, Turkey and its rebel factions allied themselves while maintaining control over much of northern Syria. Additionally, the country is home to around 3.2 million Syrian refugees, which the United Nations estimates could rise to unsustainable levels. At the time of writing, the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom have called for de-escalation in Syria and have appealed for the protection of civilians and infrastructure: «The current escalation only highlights the urgent need for a solution policy of the Syrian-led conflict, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254″, reads the joint statement released by the US Department of State, which explicitly refers to the 2015 UN resolution approving the peace process in Syria.
The Syrian crisis seen from Israel
IDF spokesperson, Daniel Hagariwarned that Israel will not tolerate the smuggling of weapons through Syria to the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon. In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Hagari said: «We are closely following what is happening in Syria and we see the Iranian regime sending reinforcements. Syria belongs to the Syrians and we will ensure that Iran does not smuggle weapons into Lebanon and Hezbollah. We are closely following what is happening in Syria and see the Iranian regime sending reinforcements. Syria belongs to the Syrians and we will ensure that Iran does not smuggle weapons to Lebanon and Hezbollah.” Then Hagari also underlined that Hezbollah was defeated in the battles on the border between Israel and Lebanon and underlined that «Israel will act by any means necessary to prevent the terrorist group from recovering its forces».
