Iraqi: We Will Consider Sending Forces if the Syrian Government Requests

The Iranian Foreign Minister stated that if the Syrian government requests the deployment of forces, the Islamic Republic will consider this request. Abbas Araghchi, in an interview with the Qatari media 'Al-Arabi Al-Jadid' on Tuesday, December 4, also announced that he would travel to Moscow to assess the situation in Syria. This comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed developments in Syria with his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, on Monday. In his interview, the Iranian Foreign Minister claimed that 'Iran neither commands resistance groups in Arab countries nor has organizational relations with them.' This is despite these militia groups being recognized as Iranian proxies in countries like Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen, in addition to Syria. Iran, alongside Russia, has been a primary supporter of Bashar al-Assad's government during the Syrian civil war, with Iranian-affiliated militias such as 'Fatimiyoun' present in Syria. Members of the Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard are also in the country, and before the fall of Aleppo, a senior commander of this force was killed in clashes with rebels. Iranian officials refer to these forces as 'military advisors.' Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that jihadist rebels led by the 'Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham' group approached the city of Hama on Tuesday. The U.S. officially designated Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham as a terrorist organization in 2018, and the European Union, the UK, Turkey, and several other countries have also listed this group as terrorist. According to this London-based organization, 27 people were killed in these clashes, including 17 from government forces. Eight rebels and two civilians were also killed that day. The rebels claimed they were able to capture a village a few kilometers north of Hama. Reports have emerged that these forces have blocked two main roads leading to the city of Hama. However, the Syrian army claims to have inflicted blows on 'terrorists' in the northern outskirts of the city. These rebels began their sudden attacks last Wednesday and quickly took control of Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city. Concurrently, the Iraqi Prime Minister announced on Tuesday that Iraq would not merely be an observer regarding developments in Syria. Reports indicate that the Syrian army and its allied forces are facing attacks from the Syrian Democratic Forces in villages in the northern Deir ez-Zor province near the Iraqi border. Reuters, citing the official Syrian news agency SANA, reported on Tuesday that the Syrian army and its allies are confronting attacks from the Syrian Democratic Forces in villages in northern Deir ez-Zor province. On Monday, reports emerged about the deployment of forces from the Iranian-affiliated Popular Mobilization Forces to Syria to fight against the rebels, but the head of this group denied the transfer of forces to Syria.