As the media is busy with “Putin – Erdogan” agreements north Syria, Iran continues recruitment and “converting to Shi’ism” raising their numbers to more than 5700 people west Euphrates and in the Syrian south
At a time when the media highlights “Putin – Erdogan” agreements in the Syrian north, and monitors the new ceasefire within the “de-escalation” area; the Iranian forces and their loyal militias secretly continue their recruitment in their favor in Syrian south and the western banks of Euphrates River, through godfathers or locations that were turned into centers for converting to Shi’ism, such as Saraya al-Arin of the 313th Brigade north Daraa, as well as centers in al-Lajat area and other areas in Daraa countryside, al-Mayadin city and its desert and vicinity, al-Bokamal area, areas in Deir Ezzor countryside, and west of Euphrates River in exchange for generous amounts of money, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the increase of number of volunteers in the Syrian south to more than 3510 volunteers, also it rose to about 2200, the number of young Syrians and men of different ages who were recruited into the ranks of the Iranian forces and their militias recently; after the “Shiism” operations within the west Euphrates area in Deir Ezzor countryside, where the Iranian militias are intensifying these recruitment operations in full exploitation of the Russians’ preoccupation with military operations in the Syrian north and their successive defeats there.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published on the 27th of July 2019 that the Iranian forces and militiamen loyal to them are continuing to entrench and cement their presence within the area of west Euphrates in the countryside of Deir Ezzor province, through attracting more fighters and recruiting them within their ranks in addition to removing every obstacles that may disturb their full control over the area specially with the presence of the Russian-backed militiamen of the National Defense, where the Iranian militiamen are trying to curb the National Defense through confining their influence in the area, an the latest incident may be the best proof of that, and the SOHR published on the 24th of July 2019, that a military force of the Iranian militia surrounded a checkpoint of the NDF militia in al-Kornish Street in al-Mayadin city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and this checkpoint is used by the NDF militia in smuggling operations between the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas and regime forces’-controlled areas; through boats, the sources added to the Syrian Observatory that the Iranians demanded NDF to withdraw from the checkpoint immediately and they withdrew without any resistance, followed by the spread of Iranian members on the checkpoint and raising the Iranian flag.
and the SOHR published on the 20th of July 2019, that the recruitment by the Iranian Forces and their loyal militias continues in the Syrian south and the western banks of Euphrates River, through the continuous operations in secret and public by the godfathers of the area to recruit men and young men in Daraa province and Deir Ezzor countryside at the west bank of Euphrates River, where the Syrian Observatory monitored the increase of number of volunteers in the Syrian south to more than 3225 volunteers, also it rose to about 1950, the number of young Syrians and men of different ages who were recruited into the ranks of the Iranian forces and their militias recently; after the “Shiism” operations within the west Euphrates area in Deir Ezzor countryside, where the Iranian militias are intensifying these recruitment operations in full exploitation of the Russians’ preoccupation with military operations in the Syrian north and their successive defeats there.
The Syrian Observatory published on the 15th of July 2019 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights was informed by reliable sources that tens of NDF militias in al-Mayadin city in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor have joined the Iranian forces there, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: about 50 members defected from the NDF without informing leadership of the militia and joined the ranks of the Iranian Forces in al-Mayadin city, where the members justified their action by saying that they had not received their monthly dues for 5 months, while Iranian forces five their fighters monthly salaries of $150 in addition to food basket and medical services, the sources added to the Syrian Observatory that the NDF command has officially requested the Iranian forces to return the 50 members, which was rejected by the Iranian militias and considered the members as a part of their arsenal in Deir Ezzor.
The Syrian Observatory published on the 24th of June 2019 that it seems that the Russians have not only failed to manage military operations within the Syrian north, as Iran is still outweighing Russia in the cold war between them, where Russia has not yet been able to stop in the Iranians in the Syrian south and the eastern part of the country, where the Iranian role on the Syrian ground has not diminished yet, on the contrary, Iran continues to consolidate its presence in Syria through continuous and systematic Shiism operations and recruiting more youths and men south and east of the country, while all the Russian attempts until now to stand up against the Iranians have increased the failure of the Russian policy in Syria, especially in the light of the continued failure of the Syrian regime to reopen the road of al-Suqaylabiyah – Muhradah and expel the factions and the Jihadis from the areas which are inhabited by Christian citizens, of whom the Russian Church claims to protect them on Syrian territory, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 6th of June 2019 that a mid continued efforts by the Russians to limit Iranian presence in the Syrian north by reinforcing its points in Tal Rifaat to limit the Iranian expansion in the area, but the Iranians continue to expand in the Syrian south, Deir Ezzor, and other places in Damascus and Rif Dimashq, through continuous attempts to attract men and youth through the network of godfathers and agents there, where converting to “Shiism” operations continues increasingly in the light of the Iranians’ temptation of the people by money and by religious and sectarian speeches, to join their ranks in order to establish their presence in the area in the context of the continuous conflict between them and between the Russians within the cold war between both parties, while the Syrian Observatory published on the 14th of May 2019 that s everal areas in the countryside of Deir Ezzor Province within areas of control of the regime forces, the Iranians, and their loyal militias, are witnessing continuous converting to Shiism operations, especially al-Bokmal, al-Mayadin and the areas around them, through networks of godfathers and agents who are secretly and openly active bringing in more men and youth drawn by the material return, where they exploit the poor living conditions and the religious and sectarian side, and as more men and youth are recruited, it rose to about 1710, the number of Syrian men and young men of different ages who have been recruited in the ranks of the Iranian forces and their militias recently after “Shiism” operations in the west Euphrates area in Deir Ezzor countryside, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 2nd of May 2019 that Iran and its loyal military militias continue to recruit more people in their ranks through continuous recruitment operations in the Syrian south, particularly, within their controlled areas in Daraa Province, where the Syrian Observatory learned from several reliable sources that the recruitment operations for the Iranian Forces the militias loyal to them are underway in the countryside of Daraa through secret and public operations in exchange for money and playing on the religious and sectarian manners; through the continuation of converting to “Shiism” operations, where the Syrian Observatory has monitored the increase of number of volunteers in Syrian south to more than 2910 volunteers, where Iran exploits the concern of the Russian enemy with killing and bloodshed in the Syrian north, to support and enhance its presence in this cold war between both parties, and the Syrian Observatory published on the 17th of April 2019 that the Russian – Iranian conflict continues to be the main Syrian scene, amid a stagnation of the military operations and being limited to ground and air escalation north of Syria, this general calm is being exploited by each party to the most, to strengthen their power on the ground and expand their influence to control the Syrian decision, and the cold war between Iran and its loyal militias on the ground against the Russians and their followers on Syrian territory; is now increasing the power influence of the Iranian side, where despite the main Russian presence within command headquarters and often controlling the Syrian decision; Iran has managed to expand its influence through the increase of its presence in the Syrian territory since the start of the Syrian revolution, and through standing side by side in clashes on the ground with the regime forces, Iran also managed to expand its influence and attract thousands of Syrians to its ranks not only through the material ways, but also through doctrines and religions ways as well, in addition to joining the young men who are at the age of the compulsory service to their ranks, in exchange for not withdrawing them to serve in the “Army of the Homeland”, all of which have made the Iranians set themselves as the actual ruler over a vast areas that are under the control of the Syrian regime.
While Russia is trying by various means to decrease the influence of the Iranians through coalitions with Turkey and agreements here and there, the latest of which is the Russian-Iranian disagreement over Tal Rifaat area, where Russia promised Turkey to hand over Tal Rifaat in return for opening the international highways of Damascus – Aleppo and Aleppo – Latakia, which Iran refuses due to the presence of Nubl and al-Zahraa of the doctrinal and symbolic significance to it in the area, and at the same time Iran is still going deep into the Syrian provinces through its godfathers, who attract more youths and men and polish the image of Iranians in front of the Syrians, maybe the Syrian south, al-Mayadin, and Deir Ezzor countryside are the best proof of this, where the “Shi’ism” operations continue in a secret and open ways there and they stretch and reach al-Hasaka Province, where areas of control of Syria Democratic Forces, which Russia met with great resentment, and reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that Russia has informed leaders of the Syria Democratic Forces the need to find a solution to stop the expansion of the Iranians in al-Hasakah and in the Syria Democratic Forces’ controlled areas, and in the context of this Iranian-Russian fray, the Syrian regime remains powerless, and everybody knows that its existence is only a formality and cannot impose its influence and decision on any geographical spot in Syria, even if this spot at the Syrian coast which was its former source of strength, but now it became a battleground in which both Iran and Russia are fighting, just like Damascus, Aleppo, the Syrian south, central Syria, and all the Syrian land under the control of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.