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Analysts said Iranian militias continue to strengthen and expand their military presence in parts of eastern Syria, in a move that would undermine US-led efforts to combat remnants of ISIS, according to the Voice of America website.
Iran, the main supporter of the Bashar al-Assad regime, controls parts of the Deir Ezzor governorate in eastern Syria, especially the border areas with Iraq.
With the help of thousands of foreign and local militiamen, the Revolutionary Guard has been able to assert its control over a large area in Syria since the beginning of the country’s civil war in 2011.
And local media reported that, in recent weeks, Iran has stepped up its efforts to recruit young people from the region into the ranks of its militia in Deir Ezzor.
Between Shiism … and material temptations
“In addition to foreign Shiite militias like (Fatemiyoun) and (Zainabiyoun), Iran is recruiting young Syrians from the people of the region to join loyal militias,” said network editor-in-chief Deir Ezzor 24, Omar Abu Layla.
Abu Layla added that “Iran pays the equivalent of $ 200 a month for each young man who joins these militias,” adding that “many local residents in eastern Syria have already joined due to material temptations.”
As for the most important pro-Iranian militia in Syria, it is the Fatimiyoun Brigade, which is an Afghan Shiite militia and is considered a major regional Shiite force, and there is the Zeinabiyoun Brigade, which is a Pakistani Shiite militia that is also involved in the conflict. Sirius.
Most of the newly recruited men are reported to be fighting in eastern Syria under the banner of the “Baqir Brigade,” a Syrian Shiite militia established by Iran in the early years of the Syrian war.
While Russian and Syrian government forces control major population centers in the Deir Ezzor governorate, such as the center of the eponymous governorate, Iran controls smaller cities on the western bank of the Euphrates, including the strategic border crossing of Albu Kamal with Iraq.
Tehran … and the politics of sowing chaos
On the other hand, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have controlled the east side of the river since March 2019, after defeating ISIS.
However, SDF-controlled territory in eastern Syria has often been the target of sleeper cells from ISIS and other armed groups.
The Syrian Democratic Forces have often accused the Assad regime and its Iranian allies of causing chaos and instability in areas previously occupied by ISIS militants.
A senior Syrian Democratic Forces official, who asked not to be named, told Voice of America Radio: “Iran threatens stability in the areas under our control in eastern Syria.”
“For example, Iran and its allies carried out assassinations against Arab tribal leaders in Deir Ezzor, in an attempt to incite local tribes against us and against the Americans,” he said.
The SDF official added that since taking control of parts of eastern Syria, Iran has launched “a broad campaign to convert local Sunni Muslims to Shi’ism in order to ensure their loyalty.
Such movements, he said, not only complicate his efforts in the fight against ISIS, but also make it difficult for a political solution to the decade-long Syrian conflict.
Strategic importance for Tehran
In a related context, experts emphasize that the Iranian-controlled region in eastern Syria is of geostrategic importance for its expansionist ambitions in the Greater Middle East.
In this regard, Philip Smith, a researcher at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said that Iranians “see that this region ensures its presence in Lebanon and is also a pillar of its presence in Iraq.”
Smith noted that Iranian militias are now trying to control all of Iraq’s major road networks, through Anbar province in particular.
Smith noted that the Iranians believe that by doing so, they will make it more difficult for the United States to confront its presence in Iraq in the future.
