The Fars state news agency recently reported on Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian’s, visit to Damascus, stating that he undertook the trip to bolster regional and neighborly relations and expedite the implementation of agreements made between the two countries’ presidents.
Amir-Abdollahian emphasized Iran’s commitment to stability, peace, and the preservation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
This visit marks the seventh time Amir-Abdollahian has traveled to Syria, and its purpose is not concealed. Rather, it is to quell the Syrian people’s aspirations.
After enduring a brutal suppression by the Iranian regime, which resulted in the tragic loss of countless innocent lives, including women and children, the Syrian people have once again risen to demand their rights.
Despite relentless bombardments and attacks by the Assad regime, the Syrian uprising continues, and the Iranian regime, historically complicit in suppressing these aspirations, seeks to quash them once more.
Amir-Abdollahian’s visit, as evident from his own statements on social media, aims to preserve Syria’s sovereignty, effectively safeguarding Bashar al-Assad’s regime and suppressing the Syrian population.
According to foreign media reports, last year, during an earthquake, Iran’s regime-affiliated Quds Force used humanitarian aid flights to smuggle a significant quantity of weapons and ammunition into Syria.
Military support such as that facilitated by the Mahan Air Company and the regime, has contributed to the loss of 500,000 lives in Syria as the people yearn for freedom and democracy.
Notably, Iran has spent an estimated 30 to 50 billion dollars on its involvement in Syria while its own citizens endure severe economic hardships.
The country’s infrastructure, particularly in regions like Lorestan, is in a state of disrepair, with thousands of dilapidated schools.
Many parts of Iran lack access to clean drinking water, and numerous homes and buildings in various cities are dangerously dilapidated, leaving people vulnerable to even minor earthquakes, as seen in Khoi and Sarpol Zahab.
Iran’s economic resources are directed toward Syria and proxy wars in the Middle East. The intertwined survival of both dictatorships compels Iran’s regime to invest heavily in these endeavors, draining the country’s wealth.
Back in 2013, Mehdi Taib stated, “Syria is the 35th province and a strategic province for us. If the enemy attacks us and wants to take Syria or Khuzestan, the priority is that we keep Syria because if we keep Syria, we can also secure Khuzestan. If we lose Syria, we cannot protect Tehran.”
It’s worth mentioning that Iran’s regime officials have publicly acknowledged their extensive involvement in Syria.
MP Mahmoud Nabavian revealed in January 2014, “We transported and provided military training to 150,000 Syrians within Iran, further training an additional 150,000 individuals, and subsequently dispatched 50,000 Hezbollah forces to Syria.”
In a separate disclosure, Javad Karimi Qudousi, a member of the National Security Commission in the regime’s parliament, declared in Mashhad in October 2013, “While the world hears of Syrian army victories through the voices of Syrian commanders, it is important to note that there are clandestine Iranian forces operating behind the scenes, with hundreds of battalions deployed in Syria.”
Furthermore, Syria serves as a significant source of income for the Iranian regime, including involvement in drug trafficking by IRGC-related groups, utilization of Syria’s phosphate mines for nuclear projects, and the circumvention of international sanctions and money laundering.
In conclusion, Amir-Abdollahian’s visit to Syria serves the purpose of suppressing the renewed Syrian uprising against Bashar al-Assad. The international community should condemn such interventions by this oppressive regime and extend its support to the oppressed people of Syria.
