PHOTO: Rebels in Khalidiya section of Aleppo, Syria


Iran’s leadership is showing increased concern over rebel victories in Syria against Tehran’s ally, President Bashar al-Assad, and his military.

Evidence comes on Friday morning from an unexpected source, the Revolutionary Guards’ outlet of Fars News.

Fars is usually known for its relentless pro-Assad propaganda, to the point of making up entire stories about supposed regime victories. But this morning it makes a rare admission of a rebel offensive, “Aleppo City Witnessing Bloodiest Clashes between Syrian Forces, Terrorists“.

The article does not acknowledge rebel advances in western Aleppo city, or the prospect that this is the beginning of an opposition attempt to unite Aleppo, divided since July 2012. It also declares that “the corpses of the dead terrorists are scattered on the ground for several hundreds of meters” in areas of fighting.

However, the extent of the rebel attacks is effectively conceded in the reference to the scale of fighting in and near Aleppo city: “The four regions of Rashedeen, al-Khalediya, al-Ashrafiya and Bashkoy are the worst scene of the fierce clashes.”

While continuing to put out unsupported claims such as “200 Nusrah Front Terrorists Killed, Wounded in Quneitra, Dara’a“, Fars also carries the unconfirmed rumor that Israeli warplanes struck an army base in southeast Syria on Wednesday night.

Iran has been the primary supporter of the Assad regime during the four-year Syrian conflict, providing military commanders and fighters, billions of dollars in economic assistance, political cover, and propaganda.

However, there have been signs in the past of tension within the regime over the assistance. President Rouhani and Foreign Secretary Mohammad Javad Zarif would like interaction with other foreign powers to discuss a political resolution, while the Revolutionary Guards are insisting on Assad’s continued stay in power. The Supreme Leader appears to be backing a firm line for Assad for the moment.

In what may be an indirect signal of their favored approach, Rouhani and Zarif have been on a PR offensive this week to promote discussions solving the problem of “terrorism”. In a lengthy article in the Harvard International Review, the Foreign Minister set out a political strategy, asserting:

We are prepared to contribute to all genuine and comprehensive efforts at the bilateral, regional, and global levels. Cooperation at all these levels is imperative for defeating Da’esh [the Islamic State], Al Qa’eda, Jabhat al-Nusra, and their affiliates, because they represent a global threat that jeopardizes not only local communities but also those located far from the centers of these crises.