Iranian intervention in the Syrian civil war

3 weeks ago - Iran saw the survival of the Assad regime as being crucial to its regional interests. When the uprising developed into the Syrian civil war, there were increasing reports of Iranian military support, and of Iranian training of the National Defence Forces both in Syria and Iran.

July 31, 2025 - The Islamic Republic of Iran has ... effort to keep President Bashar al-Assad in power as long as possible while setting conditions to retain its ability to use Syrian territory and assets to pursue its regional interests should Assad fall...

Iran's escalating involvement in Syria over the course of the conflict is meant not only to support an ally, but also to maintain its role in the future.

3 weeks ago - As one of Iran's few Arab allies during the war, Syria shut down an Iraqi oil pipeline (Kirkuk–Baniyas pipeline) to deprive the Iraqis of revenue. Syria also trained Iranians in missile technology and provided Iran with Scud B missiles between 1986 and 1988. In return for Syria's war support, Iran provided Syria with millions of free and discounted barrels of oil throughout the 1980s.

November 5, 2020 - As a result, in 2017-2018, Iran had to find a different approach for its military involvement in order to protect its militias. Iran then began the ambitious plan of redefining its presence in Syria by creating the Local Defense Forces (LDF), supporting specific brigades within the Syrian army ...

Similarly, the Republican Guard, tasked with protecting the regime’s inner circle and key infrastructure, benefited from Iranian logistical and operational support, ensuring its continued loyalty to Assad. In the past year alone, however, Iran saw the unraveling of its command and control in Syria.

Despite claims of a transnational network of solidarity, the axis of resistance has failed to intervene decisively in support of Hamas. In order to cover for this perceived weakness, it appears that Iran has focused on fortifying its supply line through Syria and Iraq, with the ultimate goal of funneling more weapons into the hands of Hezbollah.

March 15, 2021 - Around a dozen locals, activists, and Syrian analysts told Foreign Policy that Iran is trying to present itself as a benign power to cultivate long-term support among Sunni Syrians, with the final objective of retaining its sphere of influence ...

November 16, 2017 - Throughout the current war in Syria, Iran has remained a steadfast supporter of the Bashar al-Assad regime. The surprising endurance of the Iran-Syria alliance is made more striking by the fact that it is based on neither shared national interests nor religious values, but is rather a tactical-cum-strategic partnership between two authoritarian regimes.

After 2011, the Syrian government became extremely dependent on Iran and its allies. With dwindling resources, a manpower shortage, and increasing pressure from · opposition groups, the regime relied on Iran for its own survival. ... Neither has tried to upstage the other.

April 6, 2025 - Iran’s extensive involvement in Syria’s civil war was instrumental in sustaining the Assad regime. Since 2011, Tehran has spent somewhere between $30 billion and $50 billion on military aid, oil transfers, and logistical support to Syria.

June 5, 2024 - Iran’s strategy is underpinned by a decades-long effort to embed its influence in Lebanon and Syria. Western governments will not find this easy to dislodge, and an intensified coercive strategy to push Iran out of the Levant would likely be counterproductive. But Iran’s focus on preserving its influence and deterrence capability – which trumps its ideological commitment to supporting Palestinians and fighting Israel – offers opportunities to prevent a wider war.

Mutual contempt for Saddam Hussein’s Iraq brought Syria and Iran together in 1980, and mutual fear and loathing of the United States and Israel has helped sustain their alliance.[1] Iran initially supported the popular uprisings in the Middle East—calling them “Islamic awakenings”—when it appeared that only Western-allied Arab autocracies in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen were vulnerable to collapse.

In each instance, both Syria and Iran · perceive potential opportunities to deepen their influence and roll back the projection of · U.S. power in the region. They are therefore unlikely to step back from the alliance, but · instead can be expected to accelerate and deepen linkages as they pursue their shared ... Group and special adviser to the Muslim World Initiative. The views expressed here are not · necessarily those of the Institute, which does not advocate specific policies.

Kinetic support peaked around 2015-2016 and entailed direct involvement by Iranian military forces. Nonkinetic engagement, which is now more prominent, entails assisting militias with recruitment and sending them funds, among other support. The IRGC’s high casualty rate in Syria partly explains this shift to indirect support, but foreign sanctions may have played a role as well by giving Tehran more incentive to minimize its visibility in the conflict.

December 11, 2024 - 11, 2024 · For decades, Iran has expended much blood and money in support of Syria’s president, Bashar al-Assad, helping him survive a civil war that threatened his dynastic rule.

November 23, 2021 - To stay entrenched, Iran needs to do very little, only support President al-Assad’s staunch opposition to an agreement with the Sunni rebels or rapprochement with Turkey. That Iran’s involvement in Syria is prolonging the suffering of most Syrians means little to Tehran.