Iranian presence in Syria growing despite Israeli air strikes

DARAMSUQ — Iran continues to expand its footprint in Syria despite regular Israeli air raids on Iranian militias and Russian attempts to reduce Iranian influence.

Attempts to drive out Iranian militias and supplant them with Russian-backed ones have had little success and Iranian-backed groups, including Lebanese Hezbollah, continue to recruit Syrians in areas under their control.

Now, Iranian expansion has reached the northeastern cities of Zalin (Qamishli) and Hasakah, both of which have neighborhoods under the control of the Syrian regime although the cities themselves are in the area governed by the Democratic Autonomous Administration (DAA) of North and East Syria. Reportedly, Iranian groups are recruiting members of the Syrian regime-aligned National Defense Forces (NDF) and civilians, luring them with a monthly salary of about 350,000 Syrian Pounds, many times that they are paid by the Syrian regime.

Those recruited out of Zalin are reportedly going to be trained in the 154th Regiment barracks south of the city, after which they will be transferred to the west of the Euphrates.

In an attempt to justify Iran’s illegal presence in Syria, Ali Asghar Haji, Senior Adviser to Iran’s Foreign Minister, said on Sunday that the Iranian presence in Syria came at the request of the Syrian regime and will continue until the Syrian government and its people ask it to leave.