Soleimani's Deputy: Quds Force Brought Assad to Tehran; Those Who Needed to Know Were Aware

In the ongoing reactions from various officials regarding the controversy over the foreign minister's resignation, the deputy commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed on Wednesday, March 6, that the Syrian president was brought to Tehran by the Quds Force. Ismail Qaani, who succeeded Qassem Soleimani in the IRGC's extraterritorial operations, stated that 'those who needed to know' were aware of the Syrian leader's visit to Iran, while 'those who shouldn't know, did not.' Following the surprise announcement of Mohammad Javad Zarif's resignation from the position of foreign minister on March 6, it was widely reported that Zarif resigned in protest against being uninformed about Bashar Assad's trip. In his first comments after the sudden resignation, Zarif expressed hope that his action would serve as a 'wake-up call' to restore the Foreign Ministry to its 'legal position.' Previously, the website Entekhab reported that Zarif had stated in response to a question regarding the accuracy of the resignation news: 'After the photos of today's meetings, Javad Zarif no longer has credibility as foreign minister in the world.' In the meeting between the Syrian president and the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic in Tehran, which took place on the previous Monday, President Hassan Rouhani was absent. Neither Mohammad Javad Zarif nor any other official from the Iranian Foreign Ministry was present in the photos released from the meeting between Bashar Assad and Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader, and Hassan Rouhani on that day. The absence of a Foreign Ministry official at such a meeting contradicts all accepted diplomatic principles worldwide. This point was also mentioned on Tuesday, March 5, by Bahram Qasemi, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, who referred to it as 'a bitter reality.' He added that 'only a limited number of individuals besides the foreign minister could have been informed, and the Foreign Ministry was unaware at any level, and this ignorance was maintained until the end of the trip.' Now, Qaani has commented on this matter, but he has pointed out several somewhat contradictory points. According to Ismail Qaani, the story of Bashar Assad's trip to Tehran was something 'those who shouldn't know, did not; after all, it was a sensitive matter,' likely referring to the security sensitivity of such a visit. However, this senior IRGC commander simultaneously blamed the government for this issue, accusing it of 'negligence': 'The president was informed, and apparently, a negligence occurred, and Mr. Zarif was not informed, and all this goes back to themselves (the government).' Previously, Qaani's superior, Qassem Soleimani, had taken the same position and blamed the government: 'During Mr. Bashar Assad's recent visit to Tehran and his meeting with Dr. Rouhani... some inconsistencies in the presidency... led to the absence of our foreign minister at this meeting and subsequently his grievances.' On Wednesday, Ismail Qaani also alluded to differences with Rouhani's government. He stated, 'We have significant differences of opinion with the government, but ultimately this government is our government;... we must work with the government and we do.' He also remarked, 'Even if we have had a dispute; although there has not been a dispute, it has nothing to do with them [the enemies].' Iran, alongside Russia, has played a significant role as the largest supporter of Bashar Assad since the beginning of the Syrian civil war, with the Quds Force and its commander Qassem Soleimani being the most prominent.