The British newspaper The Telegraph has reported on growing discord among the ranks of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
According to the newspaper, IRGC commanders are angered by the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s government and blame each other for its downfall and the subsequent loss of the Iranian regime’s influence in the region.
Two IRGC officials, quoted by the newspaper, stated that no one is willing to take responsibility for this matter.
An IRGC official told The Telegraph, “No one expected Assad to flee, and the reason for their interest in him was not personal but to maintain proximity to Israel and Hezbollah.”
In addition to intervening in the Syrian civil war, the Iranian regime has spent billions of dollars to support Assad’s regime.
Previously, Bahram Parsaei, a former Iranian parliament member, wrote on X: “While I was in parliament, Syria and Bashar al-Assad’s debt to Iran was $30 billion, which had not been approved by parliament, contrary to Article 80 of the Constitution.”
The Telegraph pointed out in its report that under Bashar al-Assad’s rule, Syria was the main route for Iran to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Another IRGC official told The Telegraph that the Iranian regime’s military officials are now focusing on how to escape this deadlock.
He added, “Some within the IRGC blame Esmail Qaani, the commander of the Quds Force.”
The IRGC official said, “No one dares admit it, but he did nothing to prevent the loss of Iran’s interests and merely observed the events from Tehran.”
The first IRGC official referenced rumors of the Iranian regime’s leader Ali Khamenei ordering the replacement of Qaain, stating, “Many are calling for his replacement.”
He added, “Khamenei recently summoned IRGC commanders multiple times as rebel forces opposing Assad advanced toward Damascus.”
The Assad regime was a central part of what Iran calls the “Axis of Resistance” in the Middle East, and its fall has significantly weakened the Iranian regime’s regional influence.
The French news agency AFP, in an analysis, referenced the “unimaginable” images of Assad’s opponents entering the Iranian regime’s embassy in Damascus, discussing the destruction of this “key link in the Axis of Resistance,” and added that the Iranian regime is trying to adjust to Syria’s new reality.
France’s Channel 24 also aired footage showing Assad’s opponents in the Iranian regime’s embassy in Damascus, including torn images of Ruhollah Khomeini, Ali Khamenei, Qassem Soleimani, and Hassan Nasrallah, describing it as a “turning point.”
