Iran will send missiles, drones and more advisers to Syria, a senior Iranian
official said on Friday, as rebel forces pushed their lightning offensive south towards the city of Homs in the biggest challenge for years to President Bashar al-Assad’s rule.
Seizing Homs would cut off Syria’s capital Damascus from the coast, a longtime redoubt of Assad’s minority Alawite sect and where his Russian allies have a naval base and air base.
After years locked behind frozen front lines, the insurgents have burst out of their northwestern Idlib bastion to achieve the swiftest battlefield advance by either side since a street uprising against Assad mushroomed into civil war 13 years ago.
Assad regained control of most of Syria after his key allies – Russia, Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah group – came to his support. But all have recently been weakened and diverted by other crises, giving Syrian Sunni Muslim militants a window to fight back.
The head of the Syrian faction leading the sweeping assault told CNN that his group – a former Al-Qaeda affiliate now known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – aimed to “build Syria” and bring Syrian refugees back home from Lebanon and Europe.
It was Abu Mohammed Al-Golani’s first interview since his group began seizing territory from Assad’s forces on Nov. 27. Rebels have captured two major cities so far and are now
thrusting toward the key crossroads city of Homs.
HTS broke from Al-Qaeda in 2016, says it poses no threat to the West and has spent years trying to moderate its image, presenting itself as a viable alternative to Assad.
The rebels’ sweep has taken the region by surprise. Iran has been focused on tensions with its arch-enemy Israel since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023.
“It is likely that Tehran will need to send military equipment, missiles and drones to Syria… Tehran has taken all necessary steps to increase the number of its military advisers in Syria and deploy forces,” the official said, on condition of anonymity.
“Now, Tehran is providing intelligence and satellite support to Syria.”
The Israeli military said it was reinforcing aerial and ground forces in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights in Syria and was prepared for all scenarios.
With Reuters inputs
