Iranian Revolutionary Guards Commander Confirms Withdrawal of Forces from Syria After Assad's Defeat

The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Hossein Salami, said that his country has no military presence in Syria after the fall of the regime of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.

This came in statements made by Salami today, Tuesday, before the Iranian parliament regarding the recent developments in Syria and the military strategies that Tehran will adopt towards them.

He added that Iranian military advisors and forces were present in Syria until the fall of the Assad regime, and explained that "at the present time there is no Iranian military presence in Syria."

Iranian media quoted Salami as saying today, "The Islamic Republic has not weakened and its power has not diminished after the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria."

"The overthrow of the Zionist regime (Israel) is not off the list of priorities," Salami said in the session held to discuss the latest developments in Syria.

Iran and Russia have backed Assad’s rule since the Syrian uprising began in 2011 with military support, men and air power. Tehran has deployed the Revolutionary Guards to Syria to keep its ally in power and maintain the “axis of resistance” against Israel and U.S. influence in the Middle East.

Last Sunday morning, the Syrian opposition factions entered the capital Damascus and took control of it, with the withdrawal of regime forces from public institutions and streets, thus ending a 61-year era of Baath Party rule and 53 years of Assad family rule.

After the fall of Assad, the Iranian Foreign Ministry called for a national dialogue to form a government representing all segments of Syrian society.

Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani called on Tuesday for "respect for Syria's territorial integrity," saying the Syrian people should decide their own fate.

Source: Agencies