The Rendering №8

The article “What Is Iran Doing in Syria” was published in The National Security on September, 21. It discusses that until recently, the Islamic Republic's military involvement in Syria was shrouded in mystery. The author Ali Alfoneh makes clear that on September 16, IRGC Commander Mohammad-Ali Aziz Jafari admitted that the IRGC's Quds Force, which is the extraterritorial operations arm of the IRGC, "are present" in Syria. But it’s necessary to point out that he added that "this does not mean that Iran has a military presence" there and that Iran's aid was limited to "consultancy and economic assistance."

Analyzing the situation Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast further complicated interpretation of Iran's messaging by condemning what he called some media outlets' "selective, incorrect, and politically motivated use" of Jafari's statements. It is an open secret that on May 26 Iranian forces were present in Syria in an attempt to "prevent great massacres" there and on August 22, Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi declared Iran's readiness to "live up to its defense and security obligations upon Syria's request”.

There is a general feeling to believe that the IRGC organization has an interest in making its presence known in order to increase its leverage over other branches of the Iranian government. The reporter mentions that the United States should negotiate with the Quds Force rather than other branches of the Islamic Republic in order to solve the problems it was facing in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. There are signed that those who desire a negotiated solution to the crisis in Syria must involve the Quds Force. It is revealed that the Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, probably opposes Iran's military involvement in Syria lest it result in the Quds Force taking the lead on Iran's Syria policy.

The correspondent considers the statements of Iranian military involvement can also be interpreted as the IRGC's way of threatening to increase its intervention, which would transform civil war in Syria into a regional war. Speaking of a certain Brigadier General Hossein Hamadani has been sent to Syria to oversee the Quds Force's operations it is necessary to point out that he has extensive experience in suppressing the Kurdish separatist movements in Iranian Kurdistan in the immediate aftermath of the 1979 revolution and during the Iran-Iraq war.

In conclusion the author suggests that with the protests in Syria having developed into an armed rebellion, and with the rebels gaining access to more sophisticated weaponry, he may find himself fighting a very different war than the one he won against peaceful protesters in the streets of Tehran. As for me, I think that there are many evidences that the Iranian government makes different plans and programs towards Syria. And it is very likely that Iran follows their own plans and it is not to help Syria.