Reuters: IRGC has withdrawn some of its commanders from Syria following Israeli attacks

Reuters reported, citing five informed sources, that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has reduced the deployment of its senior commanders in Syria following a wave of deadly Israeli attacks, and will maintain its influence there primarily through its proxy militias. Three sources told Reuters that despite calls from hardliners in Tehran for retaliation, the Islamic Republic's decision to withdraw senior IRGC officers is partly due to the government's reluctance to become embroiled in a widespread regional conflict. According to these sources, the Islamic Republic has no intention of leaving Syria, but this reassessment reflects the consequences of the war stemming from Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7. Although the Shiite militias supported by the Islamic Republic in Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Syria have engaged in regional conflicts and prepared repeated attacks against U.S. and Israeli positions, the Iranian government has refrained from direct involvement in the conflicts. One of Reuters' sources, who is a senior regional security official, stated that IRGC commanders, along with dozens of mid-level Syrian officers, have left Syria. This source referred to the IRGC's action as a reduction of their presence in Syria but did not specify how many commanders have left. During the Syrian war, the Islamic Republic sent thousands of fighters to support Bashar al-Assad. In addition to the IRGC forces, which the Islamic Republic claims are playing an 'advisory' role in Syria, thousands of Shiite militants from the region have been dispatched to Syria by the Iranian government. Three sources told Reuters that the IRGC intends to manage operations in Syria remotely with the help of Hezbollah. Reuters cited a regional official close to the Islamic Republic stating that the remaining IRGC members in Syria have also left their offices and are staying out of sight. According to him, the IRGC is not leaving Syria but has significantly reduced its presence and activities in the country. According to Reuters sources, this reduction in presence has not yet impacted the IRGC's operations in Syria. One Iranian source told Reuters that the reduction in presence in Syria helps the IRGC avoid getting caught up in the war between Israel and Hamas. Since the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, Israel has increased its attacks on the IRGC and Hezbollah in Syria. In last week's Israeli attack on a building in the suburbs of Damascus, five IRGC members, including 'Sadegh Omidzadeh, the deputy intelligence chief of the Quds Force in Syria along with his deputy Haj Gholam (Moharram),' were killed. Also, on December 25, 'Seyyed Reza Mousavi, known as Seyyed Reza, a veteran advisor of the IRGC in Syria,' was killed in an Israeli attack in the Zainabiyah area in the suburbs of Damascus. A few days later, Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, prayed over the body of Reza Mousavi and in his first public reaction to the killing of this senior IRGC member, he told his family, 'Blessed be his fate.' Reuters, citing three informed sources about the IRGC's presence in Syria who wished to remain anonymous, reported that the IRGC has expressed concern in discussions with Syrian intelligence officials that recent deadly attacks have been influenced by intelligence leaks from within the Syrian security forces. Another source told Reuters that the precise Israeli attacks, amid concerns about intelligence leaks, have forced IRGC forces to change their operational locations and residences. The IRGC entered Syria to support Bashar al-Assad and suppress his opponents, and despite the Syrian army regaining control over most of the country's territory, Iranian-affiliated groups remain active in many parts of Syria. Three of Reuters' sources stated that the IRGC is once again hiring Shiite militants from Afghanistan and Pakistan to send them to Syria, similar to the early years of the Syrian war. A regional official close to the Islamic Republic also told Reuters that the IRGC is increasingly relying on Syrian Shiite militias.