The Wall Street Journal exposes Iranian efforts to attract Russian-trained fighters in Syria
DARAMSUQ — The Wall Street Journal reports that there have been clandestine meetings between Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and members of the Russian Wagner Group in Syria. The aim of these meetings was to entice fighters trained by the Wagner group to join Iranian-backed militias following Moscow’s takeover of the group after the failed putsch in late June.
According to the newspaper, Haj Mahdi, the commander of the IRGC in Syria, conducted meetings with Syrian regime allies to attract the Wagner-trained fighters, particularly those stationed in Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor).
Concerns were expressed by Syrian government officials regarding the vulnerability of oil and gas fields to potential attacks by the Islamic State (ISIS) given the Wagner Group’s key role in guarding these facilities.
Citing a Syrian diplomat, the paper reported that the Russian Defense Ministry had replaced Wagner fighters around the oil and gas facility in Palmyra. The diplomat further revealed that during the rebellion, the Wagner fighters attempted to gain entry to a Russian military base in Latakia but were unsuccessful in their efforts.