{"id":326843,"date":"2024-12-19T17:48:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-19T16:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=326843"},"modified":"2024-12-19T17:48:00","modified_gmt":"2024-12-19T16:48:00","slug":"the-iranian-regimes-role-in-propping-up-bashar-al-assad-in-syria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/terrorism-a-fundamentalism\/the-iranian-regimes-role-in-propping-up-bashar-al-assad-in-syria\/","title":{"rendered":"The Iranian Regime\u2019s Role in Propping Up Bashar al-Assad in Syria"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Slain IRGC Quds Force commander Qassem Soleimani directing proxy militant operations in Syria<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Four-minute read<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

On December 8, 2024, the Syrian people finally overthrew the brutal dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad, marking the end of a regime that had inflicted unimaginable suffering. To truly grasp the geopolitical consequences of this historic victory, it is essential to look back and examine the lengths to which the Iranian regime went to save Assad. Drawing on a 2016 report published<\/a> by the NCRI\u2019s Washington, D.C. office, this article uncovers how Tehran poured billions into Syria, deployed thousands of proxy militants, and orchestrated atrocities that massacred the Syrian people\u2014all in a desperate bid to maintain its influence and prevent Assad\u2019s fall.<\/p>\n

Phase One: Early Intervention (2011-2013)<\/h3>\n

When protests erupted in Syria in March 2011, Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei immediately categorized the uprising as a Western plot. By mid-2011, Tehran deployed the Quds Force under General Qassem Soleimani<\/a> to Damascus to assist Assad\u2019s forces in crushing dissent.<\/p>\n

In 2012, Iran expanded its role by forming the National Defense Forces (NDF), a paramilitary group trained and equipped by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps<\/a> (IRGC). The NDF operated in key locations such as Homs, Aleppo, and the Damascus suburbs. By 2013, over 10,000 IRGC operatives were reportedly embedded in Syria, with Tehran allocating an estimated $6 billion annually to sustain Assad\u2019s regime. Soleimani frequently traveled to the frontlines, particularly near Damascus, to oversee operations personally.<\/p>\n

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Warning against #IranRevolution<\/a>, Khamenei has long advocated: \u201cIf we don\u2019t engage in wars today in Iraq, Syria, and #Lebanon<\/a>, we must confront the enemy on the streets of Iranian cities tomorrow.\u201dhttps:\/\/t.co\/yfELjhzJPi<\/a><\/p>\n

— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) October 14, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n