Release of a Documentary on the Field Presence of Iranian Forces in Syria

Officials of the Islamic Republic have not officially confirmed the field presence of the IRGC and Basij forces in Syria to participate in the war in favor of Bashar al-Assad, but the release of a two-part documentary corroborates reports in this regard. Previously, numerous reports had emerged regarding the organized dispatch of Basij and IRGC members to Syria in the form of 'Defenders of the Shrine of Hazrat Zainab' brigades, the deaths of Iranian military personnel in these conflicts, their funerals and burials in various cities across the country, and even the dispatch of a number of Afghan and Pakistani residents of Iran to Syria in exchange for residency permits and financial support for their families, to which the officials of the Islamic Republic have not responded clearly. Although the Islamic Republic has sporadically held ceremonies to honor the families of those killed in Syria in some cities, it has preferred not to hold the funerals and burials of the dispatched casualties from Iran too publicly. The funerals of these casualties, which according to unofficial statistics number in the dozens, have been organized by provincial IRGC units and at a level lower than what is expected from the Islamic Republic's propaganda methods. Meanwhile, the internet television 'Nasr TV,' a conservative video network claiming to cover developments in Islamic countries, has produced and released a two-part documentary titled 'Abu Khalil,' which details the dispatch and death of Rasoul Khalili, whose official name is Mohammad Hasan, and provides undeniable new details about the military presence of Iranian forces in Syria. This two-part documentary, lasting 31 minutes and 58 seconds, was directed by Mohsen Ardestani Rostami, an activist of Hezbollah. According to this documentary, Rasoul Khalili, a member of the Basij, was killed in Syria in the month of Muharram in 1392 (2013) and was buried in the 'Martyrs' Cemetery' in the 'Shahid Mahallati' neighborhood, where high-ranking IRGC commanders live near the Azgol area of Tehran. In this documentary, one of Khalili's friends mentions that in this cemetery, several 'contemporary martyrs' who have been killed in the last two to three years, including Meysam Kahndel and Hassan Shateri, are also buried. Hassan Shateri, known as Engineer Hosam Khoshnavis, was one of the commanders of the Quds Force and responsible for the reconstruction of Lebanon, who was killed in 1391 (2012) on the way from Damascus to Beirut. However, due to the location of this newly established cemetery in a military area, more information about the military personnel who have been killed and buried there in recent years is not available. According to Khalili's friends and an individual who appears to be one of the officials responsible for sending forces to Syria, whose face is not shown, Khalili was a 'capable demolitions expert' and was killed while attempting to defuse a bomb in Syria. The narrators of this documentary add that Khalili, when Syrian soldiers and Hezbollah could not defuse a bomb, took action to defuse it himself and lost his life due to the explosion. Khalili's friends expressed surprise that a bomb explosion caused his death, given his expertise in bomb disposal and the special training he had received in this area. Rasoul Khalili's mother also states in part of the documentary that her son had traveled to Syria several times and had been active in identifying combat zones in that country. Khalili, as indicated by his father, brother, and friends, was a 'standard-bearer' during the events of 1388 (2009) and had been involved in suppressing protesters against the election results in the streets for a period. Khalili's brother, who also appears to be a member of the Basij, mentioned that his brother played a major role in saving the life of a wounded commander during the war with 'Takfiris,' when the Syrian army had retreated due to difficult conditions. According to him, Khalili believed that given the new conditions in Syria, 'the path to martyrdom' had reopened. The transfer of his body to Iran took three days due to the specific regional and weather conditions at the place of death and the necessity of nighttime transfer because of the presence of Assad's opponents in that area. Rasoul Khalili frequented the Reyhaneh al-Nabi Mosque in Tehran and had told his friends to make a 'cool' clip for him after he was killed in Syria. It seems that this two-part documentary was made at his request and by his friends. Among the important parts of this film are the statements of an unidentified individual whose face is not shown, who says that the conditions of war against the opponents in Syria were very difficult and even different from the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, and at that time 'we saw everything leading to martyrdom.' His statements may indicate the intensity of the battle between the forces supporting Assad and his opponents, and it is likely for this reason that a significant number of the military personnel dispatched from Iran have lost their lives in these conflicts. Previously, Hadi Baghaei, another member of the Basij who is said to have also been an employee of the state television, had gone to Syria to make a documentary about the fight against 'Takfiri' forces, and after his death, his film footage fell into the hands of Assad's opponents, who proceeded to broadcast parts of it. However, besides the documentary 'Abu Khalil,' other films have also been made about the presence of Iranian military personnel in Syria and their war against Assad's opponents, and according to those involved in the 'Amir' festival, they are set to be screened at this year's festival.