The newspaper “A-Sharq Al-Awast”, which is published in London, reported that Russia asked the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to withdraw their militias from the command posts near the military airport in Deir ez-Zor, as well as from other areas of the city in eastern Syria.
According to local media sources, the representative of the Russian forces in Syria met on Friday with a representative of the Revolutionary Guards to convey the request. The news site “Dir al-Zor 24” reported that the Russian general demanded the evacuation of all Iranian positions near the airport and other strategic buildings in the area.
A few days earlier, with Russian backing, Damascus restricted the activity of militias affiliated with Iran and Hezbollah, in order to prevent Israeli attacks. Local sources in Deir ez-Zor reported to “A-Sharq Al-Awast” that these instructions undermined the trust between the leaders of the Iranian and Lebanese militias and the Syrian members of these organizations. In response, the militia leaders ordered raids on the homes of members suspected of leaking security information to hostile elements.
While Israel attacks Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, Damascus fears the expansion of Israeli military activity into Syrian territory. According to foreign reports, Israel is already carrying out attacks against Iranian targets in Syria in an attempt to prevent Tehran from establishing itself in the country.
The sources added that tensions between Hezbollah and the Syrian forces are increasing, according to the reports of the sources. According to them, clashes broke out at the checkpoints between Hezbollah members and Syrian soldiers. The members of the Lebanese organization, responsible for transferring Lebanese refugees to Iraq through Deir ez-Zor, claim that Damascus “betrayed them”. This is against the background of a growing hostile attitude towards Iran, which is felt even among those who previously supported it. This situation reflects the change in power relations in the region and the deepening rift between the former allies.
Another destabilization of the array of pro-Iranian forces is also evident in the Albu Kamal region. According to local reports, more than 20 fighters from a pro-Iranian militia fled the area to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) territory. The reason for their escape, it is claimed, is fear of a possible Israeli attack. At the same time, sources report that a body known as the “Iranian Ministry of Defense” carried out a raid on a facility belonging to an Iranian militia in Albukhamal. During the raid, one of the members of the militia, suspected of leaking information to hostile elements, was arrested. These events point to growing tension and mistrust among the pro-Iranian forces in the region.