Iran Sends Fresh Troops into Syria as Assad Government Prepares Counterattack

Photo Credit: Tasnim News Agency

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meets with Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, Dec. 1, 2024

Iran has bolstered President Bashar Assad’s campaign to reclaim territory in northern Syria, deploying additional fighters and resources as government forces prepare to counter recent rebel advances.

Reports indicate that Iraqi militias allied with Iran have crossed into Syria to support the regime’s operations against Sunni insurgents who have seized control of key areas, including large parts of Aleppo. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based monitoring group, confirmed that approximately 200 fighters crossed the Al-Qa’im border into Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Province late Sunday night, traveling in convoy vehicles.

Iran has also flown reinforcements into Syria, according to Sky News Arabia, including personnel from both Shi’ite militias and the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

This escalation follows a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Damascus, where he pledged continued support for Syria’s fight against insurgents. Araghchi described Iran’s commitment to safeguarding Syria’s stability as part of its regional security strategy, highlighting Tehran’s close alliance with Assad’s government.

Araghchi later traveled to Turkey to discuss the situation in Syria, where Ankara has long supported opposition groups fighting against the regime.

Meanwhile, Syrian and Russian forces have ramped up airstrikes on opposition-held areas in the provinces of Idlib and Hama. These strikes have resulted in significant casualties, with the White Helmets rescue organization reporting over 50 deaths, including children, since the offensive began on November 27. The Syria Observatory for Human Rights recorded 11 civilian fatalities in Idlib alone, alongside numerous injuries.

The intensification of airstrikes coincides with a surprise rebel attack that disrupted Assad’s control of parts of Aleppo. As battles continue, U.S.-backed Kurdish forces in the north have reportedly fled Tel Rifaat, a city recently captured by Turkish-aligned rebels. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces have called for humanitarian corridors to assist civilians escaping the violence, seeking refuge in areas under Kurdish control.

Beyond Syria’s borders, the conflict’s regional dimensions remain prominent. Israeli jets intercepted an Iranian aircraft over Syrian airspace on Sunday, suspecting it was transporting weapons to Hezbollah. The plane was forced to turn back to Iran. Hezbollah has been severely weakened following its war of aggression against Israel.

This incident comes amid efforts to maintain a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group. The agreement includes provisions for U.S.-Israeli cooperation to prevent Iran from transferring weapons and other materials to its proxies in Lebanon.

With these developments, the Syrian conflict continues to draw in regional and international powers, deepening the complexity of a war now stretching into its second decade.

This article is based on a report in JNS.