Iran has begun to evacuate some of its diplomats and military officials from Syria, the New York Times reports, citing sources.
According to the newspaper, "among those evacuated to neighboring Iraq and Lebanon were top commanders of Iran’s powerful Quds Forces, the external branch of the Revolutionary Guards Corps."
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on December 2 that the country’s military advisors would remain in Syria, assisting Damascus in its fight against terrorists.
The sources told the New York Times that Guards personnel, some Iranian diplomatic staff, their families, and Iranian civilians were also being evacuated. "Part of the evacuation is being carried out by planes to Tehran, while others are leaving via land routes to Lebanon, Iraq and the Syrian port of Latakia, the officials said," according to the paper.
Officials from Egypt and Jordan have urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to leave the country and form an interim council, the Wall Street Journal reports, citing sources.
"Assad remained in Syria on Friday. Last week, his children and his wife traveled to Russia," the newspaper writes.
According to the Wall Street Journal, "Assad has urged Turkey to intervene to stop the rebels and sought weapons and intelligence help from countries including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan and Iraq, but has so far been refused."
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Iran began evacuating its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Friday, the New York Times reported, citing Iranian and regional sources – a move seen as a reflection of Iran’s diminished ability to support President Bashar al-Assad amid a renewed offensive by anti-government forces.
ReplyDeleteAmong those evacuated to Iraq and Lebanon were senior leaders of the Quds Force, the external wing of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the sources stated.
The evacuations extended to the Iranian Embassy in Damascus and Revolutionary Guards’ bases; the sources confirmed to the New York Times.
ReplyDeleteSome embassy staff have already departed.
This development coincides with Syrian opposition fighters claiming they captured the southern city of Daraa on Saturday, marking the birthplace of the 2011 uprising against Al-Assad and the fourth city lost by Syrian government forces within a week.
Sources reported that the military agreed to withdraw from Daraa under a deal that granted army officials safe passage to Damascus, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) to the north.
Control of Homs would sever Damascus from al-Assad’s Alawite strongholds along the coast, as well as from Russian military bases in the area.
ReplyDeleteUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday called for the protection of civilians and minorities in Syria, as Syrian opposition forces continued to seize swathes of territory from the control of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.
ReplyDeleteDuring a phone conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, “Secretary Blinken emphasized the importance of protecting civilians, including members of minority groups, across Syria.
The Secretary discussed the need for a political solution to the conflict,” said US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
The Syrian army has redeployed and established a “reliable defensive perimeter” in the provinces of Daraa and Es-Suwayda, the command of the Syrian Armed Forces reports.
ReplyDeleteMilitary source: the news circulated by some media outlets and pages affiliated with terrorist organizations is false regarding any withdrawal of units of our armed forces present in the vicinity of the city of Homs and its countryside. Our units are fully prepared and ready to carry out their duties and confront any terrorist attack.
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