Amidst the Accelerating Progress of the Opposition, Iran Withdraws Its Military Elements and Leaders from Syria

The New York Times quoted unnamed officials as saying that Iran began withdrawing its elements and military leaders from Syria on Friday, in light of the progress made by the armed opposition factions in the main cities.

The newspaper pointed out that this measure reveals Tehran's inability to help Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while he faces an attack from armed opposition factions.

Iranian and regional officials said that among the commanders transferred to Iraq and Lebanon were senior commanders of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, in addition to the transfer of some Iranian diplomatic personnel and their civilian families as well as workers at Revolutionary Guard bases in Syria.

Evacuations are taking place via planes heading to Tehran, while others leave via land routes to Lebanon, Iraq and the Syrian port of Latakia.

On Friday, Syrian government forces lost control of the city of Daraa, the cradle of the Syrian popular protest movement that erupted in 2011 against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad, in a new blow to them amid the rapid and sudden developments that have been ongoing for a week.

On November 27, the armed factions of the Syrian opposition began an attack on government forces from Idlib province in the northwest of the country, and were able to control large areas, reaching Aleppo, the country's second largest city. They continued their advance to control Hama a few days later, and approached Homs, which connects Damascus to the Syrian coast, the stronghold of the Alawite minority to which President Bashar al-Assad's family belongs, which has ruled Syria for five decades.

Source: Alhurra