The A-Sharq al-Awast newspaper, published in London, reported on a new wave of tension between Russian and Iranian forces in Syria. According to the publication, the Russian Federation demanded that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and associated militias withdraw their forces from command posts near the Deir ez-Zor military airport and other strategic installations in the area.
Sources in the region claim that the Russian general met with a representative of the Iranian forces in Syria to formally convey the demand for the withdrawal of the militias. At the same time, Damascus, with Russian support, tightened control over the activities of Iranian and Lebanese militias, including Hezbollah, to prevent Israeli attacks on targets in Syria.
These measures by Moscow and Damascus have caused growing distrust between the Syrian army and Iranian forces. Local sources say leaders of Iranian-backed militias suspect Syrian members of their organizations of leaking classified information to enemies, leading to searches and arrests.
The situation is especially tense at checkpoints, where clashes between Hezbollah fighters and Syrian soldiers have repeatedly occurred in recent days. Lebanese militias illegally transporting refugees through Deir ez-Zor into Iraq are accusing Damascus of “betrayal” amid growing anti-Iran sentiment among Syrians.
The situation is also worsening in the Albu Kamal region, on the border with Iraq, where more than 20 fighters from pro-Iran forces fled to territory controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), fearing Israeli attacks. Local sources also report that an Iranian militia compound in Albu Kamal was raided by an entity known as the Iranian Ministry of Defense, during which one of the fighters suspected of leaking information was arrested.
Previously, Kursor wrote that an expert named the target of Hezbollah’s attack on Netanyahu’s residence.
