Iran’s Khamenei urges Syrian youth to resist foreign occupation Report by US think tank

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in his speech on January 1, attempted to justify the Iranian casualties in Syria and underscored the country's resilience in the face of setbacks, particularly as he honoured the memory of Qasem Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

According to a report by the US-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Khamenei praised Soleimani’s leadership and defended Iran’s regional interests, specifically regarding Syria, per Caliber.Az.

He contended that the sacrifices made by those Iran calls “defenders of the holy sites” in Syria were both meaningful and necessary, rejecting claims that their efforts had been in vain. Iran refers to both Iranian and pro-Iranian forces fighting in Syria as “defenders of the holy sites.”

The ISW report highlights that Khamenei's tone in the speech was notably defensive, seeking to justify Iran’s actions rather than confront the United States over its strike that led to Soleimani's death. Khamenei had previously vowed to take revenge for Soleimani's assassination, suggesting retaliation against the US and its allies.

However, analysts pointed out that Khamenei did not mention Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the current head of the IRGC Quds Force, who is blamed by some within Iran for the rapid disintegration of Iran’s military presence in Syria and the defeats of Hezbollah and Hamas. This is the second time that Khamenei has publicly discussed Soleimani without addressing Qaani’s role.

In early December, an unnamed Iranian official revealed that many within Iran’s leadership hold Qaani responsible for the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and have called for his removal from his position as Quds Force commander.

Despite this, Khamenei continued to advocate for a strong stance on Syria, emphasizing that Syrian youth would resist foreign occupiers in the country. He made a comparison between the young Syrians and the Iraqi militias mobilized by Soleimani in the mid-2000s to fight against the United States.

The pro-Iranian militias in Iraq, still active today and in control of many key government institutions, formed death squads targeting Sunnis and played a role in the ethnic and sectarian civil conflict, which was ignited by Al-Qaeda in Iraq in the mid-2000s.

Khamenei further asserted that Syrian youth would drive out the “foreign occupiers,” presumably referring to the US, Türkiye, and possibly the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Key takeaways:

• Khamenei’s speech on January 1 sought to defend Iran’s sacrifices in Syria and underscore the nation’s resilience while honouring Qasem Soleimani. The speech notably avoided mentioning Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the current commander of the Quds Force, who is blamed by some for Iran’s setbacks in Syria.
• Khamenei reiterated a hardline approach to Syria, emphasizing that Syrian youth would stand against foreign occupiers, drawing a parallel to Iraqi militias mobilized by Soleimani in the 2000s.

By Tamilla Hasanova