Assad regime shuns Iranian leader for nearly provoking war with Israel

The Assad regime appears to be moving away from close alignment with Iran.

By World Israel News staff

A commander in Iran’s Quds Force stationed in Syria has been shunned by the Syrian leadership after he nearly provoked an “unwanted regional war” with Israel, a Saudi media outlet has reported.

Saudi television AlHadath told viewers Wednesday that “contrary to instructions” Mustafa Javad Ghafari led “a number of activities against the United States and Israel that almost led to the entry of Syria into an unwanted regional war, including the attack on American targets in Syria on October 20 by Iranian-backed militias.”

The October attack was a drone attack on a U.S. military base, which resulted in no casualties.

AlHadath further reported that “Ghafari admitted the presence of Iranian elements and weapons in the areas where the Syrian regime prohibited their deployment.” The deployments came amid a series of alleged Israeli attacks on Iranian-backed targets in the region.

The move against Ghafari by the Assad regime appears to be political maneuvering on the part of the Syrians.

In addition to the allegations that Ghafari was provoking conflict with Israel and America, he was also accused of smuggling goods and creating a black market, in competition with Syria’s economy, among other transgressions which had led to “months of disputes” a source familiar with the situation told AlHadath.

The source added “The Iranian forces in Syria have repeatedly exploited the Syrian natural resources for their personal interests, as well as looting economic resources and evading paying taxes to the Syrian state.”

And they said that the move against Ghafari was “part of the negative trend facing the Iranian position in Syria and in the entire region,” which they described as a “blow” to the legacy of Quassem Solemani.

Solemani, a former Quds Force leader who was assassinated by America nearly two years ago, had been working to establish continuous control by Iran throughout the region.

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