Report: Iran withdraws troops from Syria
Iran withdraws 275 members of covert operations unit from Syria due to economic crisis; Tehran officials estimate Bashar Assad presidency is at risk
A deepening economic crisis and bitter criticism about the cost of its involvement in Syria have taken their toll on the Iranian regime: Iran withdrew 275 troops who secretly operated in Syria, The British Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
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The men belong to a brigade known as Unit 400, part of Iran’s elite Quds force, which has fought alongside Bashar Assad’s security apparatus against Sunni rebels.
The withdrawal was seen as a sign of waning confidence among Iran’s Shiite leaders in Assad’s ability to survive the revolt.
Last week, the British Times reported that Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was displeased with the Revolutionary Guard's Quds force commander Major General Qasem Soleimani and his dealing with the Syrian crisis.
Iran had reportedly transferred $10 billion to the Syrian regime since the beginning of the uprising 18 months ago. Officials say that Soleimani assured Khamenei that he would put an end to the crisis.
However, the British newspaper reported that Khamenei was not convinced as the rebels did not surrender. The economic crisis in Iran, spurred on by Western sanctions, also prevents it from contiuntuing to financially support Assad.
Meanwhile, Britain's Defense Minister, Philip Hammond, said in an interview to the Observer that "The world should tighten the squeeze on Iran over its "mad" nuclear plans to the point where the regime's survival is threatened by its own people"
Hammond added that there are signs of the regime beginning to "fracture" on the issue of its disputed nuclear program.
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