Iran Vows to Keep Military Advisers in Syria Amid Rebel Advances

On Monday, Iran reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining military advisers in Syria, even as Syrian rebel forces launched a surprise offensive that saw their capture of several strategic assets from the Syrian regime. According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaeil, Iran’s military presence in Syria is in response to an official invitation from Damascus, and it will remain in the country as long as the Syrian government desires.

Baqaeil emphasized that Iran's military advisers were deployed to Syria "at the official invitation" of the Syrian government, particularly in response to the rise of terrorist threats. Despite the recent surprise rebel advance, Iran has confirmed that its advisers will continue their operations in Syria. Baqaeil did not clarify whether this would mean an increase in Iranian forces following the rebel’s swift territorial gains, including the capture of key military assets from the regime.

This statement comes after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s meeting with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, signaling continued support for the Assad regime as it faces growing challenges on multiple fronts.

Rebel Advance Forces Regime Withdrawal

The ongoing rebel push, largely supported by Turkish-backed factions, has caught the Assad regime and its allies off guard. Regime troops are retreating across parts of northern Syria, abandoning key military assets, including the SAV armored vehicles, as they attempt to regroup. The rebel forces’ momentum in this blitzkrieg-style offensive has disrupted the regime’s supply lines and led to significant territorial gains, further complicating the military situation for the Assad government.

This rapid advance has raised questions about the coordination and morale within the ranks of Syrian government forces. It also highlights the increasingly unstable situation in the region, as multiple factions, including Iranian-backed forces, Syrian troops, and Russian military personnel, face growing challenges from well-coordinated rebel forces.