PHOTO: General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s Quds Forces, with troops in Syria, October 2015


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Fars News, the outlet of the Revolutionary Guards, has continued the promotion of Iran’s expanding role in the Syrian conflict, as it hails the “4+1 Alliance” — “Syria, Iraq, Iran, Russia, and the Lebanese Hezbollah” — winning the “Real War on Terror”.

For years, Tehran played down its essential military support to the Assad regime. It denied any despatch of troops and was cautious about the description of the “advisory” role of commanders.

However, since the launch of the Russian-Iranian intervention last September — with Russian airstrikes supporting the involvement of Iranian forces, Hezbollah units, and Iranian-led foreign militias in the regime’s ground offensives — Tehran has gradually embraced its frontline involvement. From January, the Supreme Leader has been featured in ceremonies with the families of “martyrs” of the Syrian conflict.

This week’s recapture of Palmyra, the Roman-era city held by the Islamic State since May 2015, has given a further boost to the campaign. Iranian outlets have hailed their alliance with Russia, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime, while chiding the US and European powers for their “weakness”.

Fars writes this morning:

One doesn’t have to look far to see why in places like London and Washington the officials are so silent on the recapture of Palmyra from the clutches of ISIL [the Islamic State]. In the end, it was the Syrian Army and its committed allies who drove the ISIL murderers out of Palmyra and not Washington and its coalition of fakers.

Accompanying this week’s declarations by the Supreme Leader and the Defense Minister that build-up of military capabilities is essential, Fars takes over the US rhetoric of the “War on Terror”:

The Real War on Terror is still far from over. True, the recapture of Palmyra is the beginning of the end for a terrorist organization that is directly threatening global peace and security, murdering innocent people, and wreaking havoc in the Middle East and beyond.

However, their “end” hasn’t come just yet…Those who have long been claiming to be a vanguard in the war on terror, including the United States and its coalition partners, should respond to President Assad’s call and help the Syrian Army and its allies to finish off the lost souls of ISIL in the Levant, if they are honest in their claims about campaign against terrorism.

The website then jabs that it is the “4+1 Alliance” protecting Europe:

Lest they forget, those who destroyed Palmyra, the Roman city of the Empress Zenobia, were the same kind of goons that carried out the coordinated March 22 atrocities in Brussels as well as the last November terror attacks in Paris.


Tehran Friday Prayer Calls for Military Buildup, Social Crackdown

The Tehran Friday Prayer has supported the Supreme Leader’s call for a build-up of Iran’s military, including ballistic missiles, and a crackdown on social activity.

Hojatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi said the Qur’an commands, “We should boost our defensive power against enemies,” and asserted that foes will not compromise if “we bend towards them”.

Seddiqi also backed Ayatollah Khamenei’s challenge to the Government’s economic policies, declaring that the “Resistance Economy” is “No to both sanctions and surrendering to powers”.

Citing the “enemies’ cultural invasion”, the cleric urged officials and people to be vigilant over social networks and the cultural programs for Iranian youth.

See also Iran Daily, March 28: Rouhani Gives Way to Supreme Leader’s Tough Language