Iran has announced new military aid for the political leadership in civil war-torn Syria. The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Hussein Salami, told Tasnim news agency today that “we are ready to help the Syrian armed forces to the extent and in the necessary areas”.
The general made the promises during a visit by Syrian Defense Minister Ali Mahmud Abbas to the IRGC headquarters. The Revolutionary Guard has pledged support, especially in the area of cyber warfare. Salami did not name a specific amount of new military aid.
Along with Russia, Iran is Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad’s most important ally in the civil war. In particular, the Revolutionary Guard supports the Syrian leadership. In the past, Tehran has always emphasized that it only supported Assad with advisers and was not actively involved in the conflict.
After nearly a dozen years of civil war, Assad’s government troops control about two-thirds of the country again. The conflict began with anti-government protests, against which the government used violence. According to the UN, more than 300,000 civilians died in the war.