Israeli Report: Russia And Iran Are Cooperating In The Syrian War

Soleimani (left) and Putin (right) have both put boots on the ground in Syria. (Photo: AP, Fars, EPA)

YNet News: Iranian troops join Russians in Syria fighting

Israeli security sources claim Quds Force sending hundreds of elite troops in unprecedented cooperation with Russia to save embattled Syrian regime.

Qasem Soleimani, commander of Iran's elite Quds Force, has sent hundreds of ground soldiers into Syria in the past few days apparently in cooperation with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, said a senior Israeli security official Thursday.

Russia has also recently deployed military assets into Syria and according to the Israeli source, has teamed up with Iran in an unprecedented attempt to protect the embattled regime of Bashar Assad from falling to rebel groups including the Islamic State.

The Israeli source said that Iran's increased military involvement in Syria was "due to Assad's crisis and under Russian-Iranian cooperation as a result of a meeting between Soleimani with Russian President Vladimir Putin," said the Israeli source.

WNU Editor: I agree with this Israeli assessment on this growing Iranian - Russian involvement in the Syrian conflict .... Israeli Defense Source: Hundreds of Iranian Troops in Syria Helping Assad (Haaretz), specifically the last few paragraphs ....

.... Israeli military sources say that at this stage the Russian military presence is mostly limited to advisors, alongside a security force, but that these forces are preparing to deploy Russian fighter planes or combat helicopters with the intention of operating a military airfield near Latakia in the future.

While Moscow claims it is helping the Syrian government fight Islamic militants, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon says the Russian presence is intended to defend Assad’s regime.

“There is a threat to the enclave in Latakia and Tartus, and it is the Russian interest that has led to their presence there. They want to defend the [Assad] regime and participate in the fighting against ISIS,” said Ya’alon on Thursday in a meeting with Israeli military correspondents.

“Will the Russian presence change the balance in Syria? It is hard for us to see that. It seems it will prolong the fighting, since ISIS will not give in, and in our assessment the fighting and bloodshed will continue, with all the human tragedy that the Syrians are experiencing,” said Ya’alon.