ALBAWABA - A report by Reuters revealed, citing sources familiar with the matter, that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) is shrinking the deployment of their senior officers in Syria following a series of Israeli attacks targetting IRGC sites in Damascus, Syria.
Reuters sources stated Iran's decision to withdraw senior officers is partly motivated by its aversion to being sucked directly into a conflict bubbling across the Middle East.
One of the sources, a senior regional security official briefed by Tehran, said senior Iranian commanders had left Syria, along with dozens of mid-ranking officers, describing the departure as a reduction in the presence.
Three sources said the IRGC would oversee Syrian operations remotely, with assistance from ally Hezbollah. The Lebanese organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Another source, a regional official close to Iran, stated that those remaining in Syria had left their offices and were staying out of sight. "The Iranians won't abandon Syria but they reduced their presence and movements to the greatest extent".
According to sources, the changes have not yet had an impact on operations. The downsizing would "help Tehran to avoid being pulled into the Israel-Gaza war," according to one of the sources.
Five Guard members were killed in one of the attacks on Jan. 20, according to Iranian state media, including a general who ran intelligence for the Quds Force, which is in charge of the IRGC overseas operations. The strike destroyed a Damascus building.
Another incident occurred on December 25 outside Damascus, when a senior IRGC adviser in charge of coordinating between Syria and Iran was killed.
