By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
TEHRAN/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – An Iranian top commander for Syria has, for the first time, publicly admitted that Iran suffered “a major defeat” with the ouster of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Tehran.
Brigadier General Behrouz Esbati made the remarks in a speech at a mosque in Tehran, according to an audio recording monitored by Worthy News on Thursday.
“I don’t consider losing Syria something to be proud of,” General Esbati stressed. “We were defeated, and defeated very badly, we took a very big blow and it’s been very difficult.”
He also revealed that Iran’s relations with Assad had been strained for months as the Syrian leader allegedly denied multiple requests for Iranian-backed proxies to open a front against Israel from Syria.
Tehran wanted to extend the fight against the Jewish nation in the aftermath of the Hamas-led attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, the speech suggested.
Iran had presented Assad with military plans on how it could use Iran’s military resources in Syria to attack Israel, he said.
‘TURNING OFF RADARS’
Additionally, the general accused Russia, considered a top ally, of misleading Iran by saying Russian jets were bombing Syrian rebels when, in fact, they were dropping bombs “on open fields.”
He claimed that in the past year, Russia had “turned off radars,” in effect facilitating Israeli strikes against Iranian positions in Syria by rendering the air defenses incapable.
There was no immediate known comment from Moscow about these allegations.
Esbati also acknowledged that following Israel’s recent air strikes, “the current situation” in the Islamic Republic “doesn’t allow” for Iranian retaliation against the Jewish nation.
Under Assad, Syria served as “an artery” for weapons and other shipments from Iran to Lebanon, meant to supply the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, according to Israeli sources.
Iraqi Shia militias reportedly also deployed in Syria to help Assad fight his enemies alongside Hezbollah.
IRANIANS, OBSERVERS STUNNED
Esbati’s comments have reportedly stunned Iranians and outside observers for their unfiltered content and the speaker’s stature.
He is reportedly a top commander of Iran’s Armed Forces, which includes the military and the Revolutionary Guards Corps, with prominent roles such as commander in chief of the Armed Forces’ cyber division.
In Syria, he supervised Iran’s military operations and coordinated closely with Syrian ministers and defense officials and with Russian generals.
Esbati’s speech seemed at odds with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last word on key state matters. Khamenei has said in at least two speeches since Assad’s fall that “resistance was not dead” in Syria.
He added that Syria’s youth would “reclaim” their country from the ruling rebels, whom he called “stooges of Israel and the United States.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi have reportedly been more conciliatory, saying they favor stability in Syria and diplomatic ties with the new government.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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