IRGC Forces Were the Last to Leave Syria After Militant Blitz: Gen. Salami

Thursday, 12 December 2024 10:36 AM

Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami

The chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has praised the sacrifices of the force in Syria, underlining that its members were the last group to leave the Arab country after the resurgence of foreign-backed militants.

Major General Hossein Salami made the remarks on Thursday as he pointed to the recent political and military developments in Syria that culminated in the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government following a shock attack by armed militants, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

“Some expect us to go and fight instead of the Syrian army. Is it logical for us to engage all the IRGC and Basij [volunteer forces] in fighting in another country while the army of that country is merely watching? On the other hand, all the ways for us to get to Syria were closed. The Islamic Republic was really trying day and night to do whatever it could to help,” Salami said.

Stressing that the Islamic Republic takes into account the realities on the ground in Syria and acts based on facts, the IRGC chief said, “Of course, I proudly inform you that the last ones who left the resistance line in Syria were the IRGC forces and the last person who left the battlefield was an IRGC soldier.”

Salami said strategies must change according to the circumstances, adding, “We cannot solve numerous global and regional issues with fixed, unchanging strategies.”

Dismissing reports about Iran’s strategic clout diminishing in the region after the collapse of the Assad government and Israel’s relentless strikes on the resistance front, Salami said, “We have a strong political logic to fight and enjoy conclusive legitimacy to defend [our country].”

The IRGC chief stressed, “We have a great nation to stand up to [bullies]. We have a great leader to provide guidance and inspiration. We have strong armed forces. If we had been weakened, we would not have conducted True Promise operations.”

Salami also emphasized that Syria was the only country that did not acquiesce to compromise or normalization deals, and was invariably in a state of confrontation, defense, resistance in the face of the United States and the Israeli regime.

Salami said the IRGC had earlier been cognizant of the plots by the armed militants in Syria and warned the Damascus government about them, "but because the will to change, fight, and resilience in its true sense did not exist, unfortunately you saw what came to pass there."

Foreign-backed militants in Syria claim to have “completely” taken control of the eastern city of Deir al-Zawr.

HTS-led militants stormed the Syrian capital of Damascus early on Sunday after scoring major gains in the Arab country’s north following their resurgence in two weeks.

Amid the militants’ attempts to stage a comeback in the country, reports pointed to their receiving strong support on the part of the Israeli regime, Turkey, and some Western states, which have been acting as the main backers of anti-Damascus outfits since the outbreak of foreign-backed militancy in Syria in 2011.

Pouncing on the heightened chaos in the Arab country, the Israeli regime launched a ground offensive in Syria's southwest and targeted various areas with a fusillade of missiles.

The Israeli military claimed to have destroyed up to 80 percent of Syria’s military capabilities in what it bragged to be one of the largest offensive operations in the illegal regime’s history.

Iran maintained an advisory mission in Syria at the request of Damascus with the aim of helping the war-torn Arab country get rid of the foreign-backed militants.

In 2017, Iran’s advisory assistance helped Syria defeat the Daesh terrorist group.