Iran Balks at Syria’s Suspension from Islamic Conference

On August 16, the Islamic Conference Organization-–a 57-member group of Muslim countries –suspended Syria’s membership in response to the government’s clampdown on internal opposition. Iran and Algeria objected to the OIC move, although an absolute majority of members approved it. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi attended the OIC summit held in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The following is the excerpt from the OIC’s final communiqué, along with statements by senior Iranian officials and the reaction from the U.S. State Department.

Iranians Abducted in Syria Accused of Revolutionary Guard Ties

by PAUL MUTTER

Press Roundup provides a selected summary of news from the Farsi and Arabic press and excerpts where the source is in English. 

11:55 p.m. IRDT, 17 Mordad/August 7 On Friday, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reported that 48 Iranian pilgrims visiting the Sayyida Zeinab Mosque in Damascus were abducted by “armed terrorist groups” while being bussed through the city. This is not the first time Iranian nationals have been abducted during Syria’s internal conflict. Eleven pilgrims were abducted in February, as wereseven engineers in January, who were accused of being Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps agents; according to Iranian media reports, some of the latter have been released as a result of Turkish intervention.

THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN AND THE STRUGGLE FOR SYRIA

 

Recent developments in Syria have prompted a predictable escalation in Western/expatriate Iranian commentary that the Assad government’s fall—widely treated as inevitable—will severely damage the Islamic Republic’s regional position.  One piece of this sort which caught our eye was authored by Farideh Farhi, see here.  Farhi’s article, couched as a critique of Tehran’s Syria policy, opens with the observation that,

“by providing full-fledged public support to Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Iran’s leaders have made a critical policy move.  They could have made a different choice…a more balanced and proactive approach to Syria that did not place all of Iran’s eggs in Assad’s basket from the beginning of the unrest.” 

The Guards’ Strategic Brain Trust | Part 1: Ghasem Soleimani and Ahmad Vahidi

by MUHAMMAD SAHIMI

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ two paramount strategists.

Muhammad Sahimi, a professor at the University of Southern California, is a columnist for Tehran Bureau and contributes regularly to other Internet and print media.

There are very few military forces in the world that receive more international media coverage than Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. It seems that practically every news item about Iran mentions the Revolutionary Guards, often prominently. And as speculation about possible military attacks on Iran persists, the role of the Guards — or Sepah, as they are often called inside the country — will be pivotal in any resulting confrontation.

Iran “aiding and abetting” the Syrian regime

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem paid a visit to Tehran on Sunday for a series of meetings which according to Iranian leaders underline “the Iranian nation and government’s full support for Syria.”[1]

Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah have long been accused of supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his bloody crackdown on dissent. In May, an Iranian official admitted that Tehran sent troops to aid the Syrian regime. [2]

Between Iranian Basij and Syrian Shabiha

The anti-regime uprising that began almost a year and a half ago has so far left more than 17,000 people dead  [3] and caused more than 200,000 civilians to flee the city of Aleppo alone. [4]

The European Union in August 2011 leveled sanctions against Iran’s elite Quds Force, the external operations branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, saying it had provided “technical assistance, equipment and support to the Syrian security services to repress civilian protest movements.” [5]

Iran’s Evolving Policy on Syria

Garrett Nada

Iran has consistently supported President Bashar Assad since the uprising erupted in March 2011. Yet Iran’s tone on the Syrian crisis has noticeably evolved. Tehran initially subscribed to the official Syrian narrative; it described the protests as insignificant and orchestrated by foreign powers, including the United States. The first shift was visible in August 2011, as escalating dissent spread nationwide. High-ranking Iranian officials began referring to the “legitimate” demands of the Syrian people and the need for political reform.

In a second shift, Iranian officials started calling for a negotiated solution in early 2012. Tehran then formally backed the six-point U.N. plan on March 28, 2012.

But the top political, religious and military leaders have taken widely diverse positions. Some have stressed the need for the regime, Tehran’s longtime ally, to engage in dialogue with the opposition. Others have encouraged solidarity with Assad against “the dirt” of Syria’s enemies. 

Syrians Start Ramadan, But Not Together

by RASHA ELASS

The Syrian government follows Iran’s lead and declares Saturday the first day of Ramadan. 

For Syrians, Ramadan is the latest battlefield. Some of the country’s Muslims started fasting on Friday, others on Saturday. It all depended on whether they supported the Syrian regime or opposed it.

The referees seem to be Saudi Arabia and Iran.

16 Iranian opposition groups express support for Syrian uprising

Sixteen Iranian opposition groups have expressed their indignation at the Syrian regime’s ongoing onslaught against pro-democracy protests.

“[W]e, like many others in the world, have been saddened by the tragedies of Darra, Homs, and Hama; we are horrified by the massacre of more than ten thousand Syrian citizens by Assad’s brutal regime, and we salute you and your resistance,” the groups said in joint a statement.

“What makes the tragedies of Syria even more painful for many Iranians is the full partnership of the Islamic Republic of Iran with the regime of Bashar al-Assad,” they added. “The similarities of the tracing methods, the suppression techniques, the identical operational tactics used against the civilian protesters by pro-government Shabiha militia in Syria and by Basij militia in Iran, and the online tracking of Syrian activists are but a few of the numerous signs that warn us of the involvement of Iranian regime with the Assad regime.”

The statement also accused Iranian authorities of exploiting religious convictions in suppressing its citizens. “The Iranian government suppresses its Shia and non-Shia citizens by exploiting Shias’ religious beliefs inside Iran. Outside of Iran, in the name of Islam and under the pretense of defending Muslims, the Iranian regime pretends to support people of Bahrain, Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan.”

The organisation also called “on the people of Syria to prevent Assad’s regime from spreading ethnic and religious divisions among them. We hope that after fall of Assad, Syria will become a country in which all citizens are equal without any ethnic or religious discrimination.”

Recently, the Coordination Council of the Green Path of Hope, the Green Movement’s highest decision-making authority, condemned the upsurge of violence in Syria and warned that the Syrian regime’s increasingly brutal crackdown on protesters could pave the way for yet another foreign intervention in the Middle East.

News Agency Removes Report On Iran’s ‘Physical’ Involvement In Syria

By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL

The semi-official Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) has removed an interview with a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force in which he said Iran had been involved in Syria to prevent the killings of civilians.

Brigadier General Ismail Ghaani, deputy commander of Iran’s Quds Force

ISNA has not provided an explanation for the removal of the interview. The short interview is, however, still available on other Iranian websites.

Deputy Quds Force commander Ismail Ghaani was quoted on May 27 by ISNA as saying that “Thanks to Iran’s presence in Syria– physically and nonphysically– big massacres were prevented.”

Brigadier General Ghaani said that the Quds Force had had an “effective” presence in Syria.

“Despite all the problems that the Syrian government has — and we have asked them to address those — Syria is a location of resistance. The reason for all the pressure from the U.S. and Israel is that they have realized the country is impossible to occupy,” he told ISNA.

Ghaani also claimed that “if the Islamic republic had not been present in Syria, the massacre of its people would have been multiplied.”

The interview was removed by ISNA a few hours after it was published on May 27. But bloggers managed to save a cached copy and also a screen grab of the interview.

Iranian officials have expressed support for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while denying reports that Tehran has been helping Syria’s crackdown against antigovernment protesters.

The Iranian authorities have continued to watch events in Syria — Iran’s main strategic partner in the region – with concern.

 

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Source: RFE/RL

The Latest from Iran (18 May): Helping Damascus

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad & Bashar al-Assad0644 GMT: The Battle to Be Speaker of Parliament. Prominent figures have lined up behind Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani as he tries to stave off a threat from a former Speaker, Gholam Ali Haddad Adel.

Hossein Ebrahimi, a member of Parliament’s National Security Committee, has declared that Larijani has more support than Haddad Adel, while the head of the Committee, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, said Larijani has been good for the nezam (system).

Unsurprisingly, both endorsements appear in Khabar Online, linked to the current Speaker.

0639 GMT: Foreign Affairs (Saudi Front). Mohsen Rezaei — Secretary of the Expediency Council and Presidential candidate in 2009 (and in 2013?) — has been vocal this week in his denunciation of the spectre of Saudi-Bahraini union. In his latest statement, Rezaei warned, “If Saudi Arabia continues like this,the Islamic Republic will lose its patience.”

0631 GMT: Death-to-the-Rapper Watch. Sobh-e Farda, a students’ magazine at Tehran University, has been banned because of its defence of the rapper Shahin Najafi, condemned to death by clerics and hard-line media for his song “Naqi”.

Meanwhile, the prominent songwriter, playwright, and theatre director Iraj Jannati Ataie has publicly supported Najafi.

0625 GMT: Economy Watch. How serious is the problem of inflation? Baztab Emrooz reports that prostitutes in northern Tehran are now charging 200,000 Toman (about $165 at official rate).

0620 GMT: For the second day in a row, we begin with a look at Iran’s manoeuvres on the Syrian front, this time with a side benefit for the Iranian economy. We post a separate feature, “How Tehran is Shipping Syria’s Oil“.

Asma al Assad to stop violence in Syria – Pls. support and share this!

Over the last year, hundreds of people, children, women have already died in Syria… Bachar Al-Assad has been closing his eyes in view of this awful and bloody situation in his own country! So has Asma Al-Assad! But is high time Asma to stand up, to speak out and to care about your people! Stop being afraid and please act for all these dead innocent children!

You are the wife of a ruthless criminal, but first of all you are a woman and a mother of young children! You are supposed to be the voice of all Syrian women! You must take responsibility! Stop protecting your own life and your own confort, go fighting for your people and stop the violence against women and children!

Women, Men, everyone around the world, be yourself involved in the protection of Human Rights by signing this petition : Asma Al-Assad: Stop the bloodshed in Syria

Syria Video Special: Free Syrian Army Captures “Iranian Soldiers”

UPDATE 27 JANUARY, 0727 GMT: An EA correspondent makes a vital connection, linking the Thursday video of five “Iranian soldiers” captured in Syria with the case of five Iranian “engineers” reportedly kidnapped in Syria in December.

Zypern und Türkei stoppen Waffenlieferungen an Syrien

Die Türkei und Zypern haben in zwei voneinander unabhängigen Aktionen Waffen- und Munitionslieferungen an Syrien unterbunden. Das Militärmaterial stammte aus Russland und dem Iran.

 

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Fokus Grenzgebiet: Flüchtlinge und Militärfahrzeuge an der türkisch-syrischen Grenze (Archiv).

Bild: Keystone

Damaskus. – Türkische Zöllner stoppten laut Regierungsangaben vier iranische Lastwagen wegen Verdachts auf eine Lieferung von Militärmaterial nach Syrien. Die Fahrzeuge und deren Ladung würden nun in Ankara von Experten untersucht, bestätigte ein Sprecher des türkischen Aussenministeriums am Mittwoch.

Türkische Medien berichteten über Hinweise, wonach sich in den am türkisch-syrischen Grenzübergang Öncüpinar beschlagnahmten Lastwagen Sprengstoff und Waffen befinden. Wegen der andauernden Gewalt des Regimes in Damaskus gegen die Opposition duldet die Türkei keine Waffenlieferung nach Syrien mehr.

Focus: Türkei stoppt verdächtige Syrien-Lieferung aus Iran…

dpa / ArchivDer syrische Präsident Baschar al-Assad (2. v. r.) bei einem Truppenbesuch in Damaskus.

Türkische Zöllner haben vier iranische Lastwagen wegen Verdachts auf eine Lieferung von Militärmaterial nach Syrien gestoppt. Die Fahrzeuge würden nun von Experten untersucht, bestätigte ein Sprecher des Außenministeriums in Ankara.

Türkische Medien berichteten über Hinweise, wonach sich in den am türkisch-syrischen Grenzübergang Öncüpinar beschlagnahmten Lastwagen Sprengstoff und Waffen befinden. Die Ladung wurde zu einer genauen Überprüfung nach Ankara geschickt. Wegen der andauernden Gewalt des Regimes in Damaskus gegen die Opposition duldet die Türkei keine Waffenlieferung nach Syrien mehr.

Stern: Iranische Söldner sollen Assad-Regime helfen

 

Mischt der Iran bei der Bekämpfung der syrischen Rebellen mit? Nach Aussage der Aufständischen sollen iranische Söldner das Assad-Regime unterstützen, wie der stern in seiner neuen Ausgabe berichtet.

Anti-Assad-Demo in Kafranbel Ende Dezember: Iranische Söldner als Müllmänner verkleidet© Reuters

Rebellen in Syrien beschuldigen iranische Söldner, das Assad-Regime bei der Niederschlagung des Volksaufstands zu unterstützen. Eine Brigade der “Freien Armee” habe fünf Männer mit iranischen Pässen gefangen genommen, sagte Oberst Abd ar-Razaq Tlass, einer der Kommandeure der Aufständischen einem Reporter-Team des stern in der Stadt Homs.

Vollständiger Artikel

We Demand an End to Assad’s Regime. We Demand Effective Protection for Syrian Revolutionary People. We Demand Responsibility and Accountability.

Thousands of Syrian women and children blocked a main coastal highway Wednesday, 13 April 2011, demanding authorities release detainees picked up during a crackdown on opponents of dictator Bashar Assad’s authoritarian regime.

The inhumanity of dictator Bashar al Assad is appalling and apocalyptic. People in Syria have been under a prolonged and bloody assault by Assad’s forces, the violent repression is increasing on a daily basis, while governments around the world have kept their silence.

Syrian people in their protest burned flag of the Islamic Republic in Iran in protest to their interference in their internal politics !

Al Jazeera demands release of journalist: Dorothy PARVAZ

DOHA, QATAR - Al Jazeera has been given information that journalist Dorothy Parvaz has been deported from Syria to Iran.

This information has come from Syrian officials, who had previously told Al Jazeera they were holding Dorothy in Damascus, and that she would be released.

An Al Jazeera spokesman said: “We have now received information that she is being held in Tehran. We are calling for information from the Iranian authorities, access to Dorothy, and for her immediate release. We have had no contact with Dorothy since she left Doha on 29 April and we are deeply concerned for her welfare.”