Rearming the resistance? Iran to send 1,500 drones to Kurdish groups in Syria

The Kurds initially requested 2,000 drones. However, Iran clarified it could only provide 1,500 units.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF JANUARY 12, 2025 13:28 Updated: JANUARY 12, 2025 13:29

Shahed 129 UAV at the Eqtedar 40 defense exhibition in Tehran (photo credit: FARS MEDIA CORPORATION/CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)

Iran has agreed to supply 1,500 suicide drones to the Kurdish YPG/PKK group in Syria to counter Turkey’s military operations, according to a report by the Turkish newspaper Yeni Şafak reported on Sunday.

Bugünkü haberim;Irak - Süleymaniyeçde İranlı subaylar ile terör örgütü PKK arasında görüşme gerçekleşti.Görüşme sonucunda İran, PKK’ya 1500 kamikaze drone sözü verdiAncak tarafların Türkiye’nin teslimatı vuracağı bilgisi nedeniyle teslimatı gerçekleştiremediİşte detaylar! https://t.co/rGQsqRJLUR

— Burak Doğan (@doganburak29) January 12, 2025

The meeting between Iranian representatives and the Kurdish organization reportedly took place in a market in Iraq, where the Kurds initially requested 2,000 drones. However, Iran clarified it could only provide 1,500 units.

Despite reaching an agreement, the shipment has been delayed due to Turkey’s close monitoring and its threat to intercept any drone transfers into Syria. Determined to block the deal, Turkey’s efforts have brought cooperation between Iran and the YPG/PKK to a standstill, the report noted.

The report added that, under Turkish pressure, the YPG/PKK has shifted to an alternative strategy—transporting drones in separate parts to avoid detection. However, the success of this strategy remains in doubt due to Turkey’s continued operations along the border.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting at the IRGC Aerospace Force achievements exhibition in Tehran, Iran November 19, 2023. (credit: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS)

A resurgence of ISIS in Syria?

Abdul Rahman, a Syrian news analyst, cautioned that this could mark the return of ISIS near Damascus for the first time since 2018 when the Assad regime regained control of the area. “The resurgence of ISIS in the capital’s vicinity signals a new threat under the current administration and intensifies Syria’s mounting security challenges,” he warned.

Rahman also noted that a stockpile of weapons from the Assad regime remains hidden and now poses a “ticking time bomb” that threatens Syria’s fragile transition. He further suggested that remnants of militias, once aligned with the regime, are suspected of operating terror cells and maintaining ties with external actors.

The situation on the ground is particularly troubling amid the growing spread of ISIS cells across various regions in Syria. There is mounting concern that the resulting security chaos could undermine the country’s stability during this sensitive period of political transition.