9 More Iranians Killed in Clashes Near Aleppo, Syria

As new reports emerge about the deaths of at least 9 more Iranians in Syria, including three commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a publication affiliated with the Iranian leader's office quoted him as saying that if Iranian forces, referred to as 'defenders of the shrine', were not fighting in Syria and Iraq, 'we would have to fight in Kermanshah and Hamadan.' The publication 'Khat-e Hezbollah' reflected Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks during a meeting with the families of several Iranians killed in Syria and Iraq. In this meeting, the Supreme Leader stated: 'If they did not fight, this enemy would come into the country. If it were not stopped, we would have to fight them here in Kermanshah, Hamadan, and other provinces.' He emphasized: 'In fact, these dear martyrs sacrificed their lives in defense of the country, the nation, religion, and the Islamic Revolution.' Iranian officials have repeatedly referred to Syria as the 'first front of resistance' against Israel and the United States. Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, previously stated during the funeral of Hamid Taghavi, an IRGC commander killed in Iraq, that 'if Taghavis do not shed blood in Samarra, we must shed blood in Sistan, Azerbaijan, Shiraz, and Isfahan.' Reports from Iran indicate that the number of Iranian casualties from recent attacks aimed at breaking the siege of the Shiite towns of 'Nubl' and 'Zahra' in Syria has increased. The IRNA news agency reported that on Friday, the bodies of Mostafa Khalili, Mahmoud Morad Eskandari, and Davood Narimisa, who were killed during this operation, were returned to Khuzestan province. Additionally, according to ISNA news agency, the bodies of Ahmad Majdi and Ahmad Elyasi, two Iranian forces killed in Syria, were returned to the city of Andimeshk in Khuzestan province. Fars news agency also reported on Friday that Mohammad Ali Gholizadeh, the representative of the Supreme Leader in the 'Security Unit' of the IRGC in Qom province, Sajjad Roshanayi, a commander of a battalion in the 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib Division in Qom, Ali Akbar Arabi, his deputy, and Mohammad Hossein Saraji, from this division in Syria, were also killed. 'Abna', a news agency known as the 'Ahl al-Bayt' news agency, listed the names of seven of the 'Pasdar and Basij' casualties from recent clashes in the cities of 'Nubl' and 'Zahra' in Syria as Javad Mohammadi, Mohammad Ebrahim Tofigian, Firooz Hamidizadeh, Alireza Hajivand, Ali-Hossein Kahkesh, Morteza Torabi, and Reza Adeli. Meanwhile, the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, referred to Morteza Torabi as a 'senior member' of the IRGC in Hamadan, and IRNA also reported that after retiring from the IRGC, he was the commander of one of the battalions of the Quds Force in Hamadan province.