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by WorldTribune Staff, March 20, 2017

Thousands of fighters under Iranian command and more than 10 generals have been killed on the battlefields of Syria and Iraq during the ongoing conflicts, a report said.

The report by the Israel-based Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, citing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, put the number of Iranian losses at 2,603.

The report claimed that the number of losses, especially of so many senior officers, is the reason Irans military footprint in Syria and Iraq has fallen from thousands to hundreds, the Jerusalem Post reported on March 19.

Overall, the Meir Amit report says the broader significance is that Teheran is becoming a much more secondary player in directing the Assad regime, with primary military backup and direction now coming from Russia.

The report broke down the 2,603 casualties as 511 actual Iranians, 1,045 Hizbullah fighters and 1,047 Afghan, Pakistani and other Shiite militia fighters all under Iranian command.

More than 10 Iranians of the rank equivalent to a brigadier-general have been among those killed, the report said.

Reports by groups opposed to the Iranian regime claim that Teherans battlefield losses are far higher, but are being covered up.

10 generals in Syria, 600 fighters, Bashar Assad, Iran loses more than 2, Iraq conflicts, Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Shiite militias, WorldTribune.com

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Iran loses more than 2500 fighters, 10 generals in Syria, Iraq conflicts - World Tribune

US soldiers gather near military vehicles at an army base in Karemlash, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2016. (photo byREUTERS/Ammar Awad)

Author:Zakiyeh Yazdanshenas Posted March 20, 2017

In June 2014, Mosul was seized by theIslamic State (IS), whose leaderAbu Bakr al-Baghdadisoon afterwardannounceda caliphate from the citys grand mosque. Nowthe caliphate is seemingly coming to an end.

Iraqi government forces took the eastern part of Mosul from IS on Jan. 24after three months of fighting. On March15, a spokesman for Iraq'sCounterterrorism Service said 60% of the western part of Mosul is under the control of Iraqi security forces. The day before, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadihad said the operation is in its final stage, pledging the defeat of IS.

But military victory in Mosul is just the beginning of a more complicated phase for Iraq. Disparate forces have so far come together to pursue the common objective of expelling IS from Iraq. With the imminent achievement of this goal, many underlying and preceding power struggles will likely re-emerge. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that various external powers including Iran and the United States have become greatly involved in Iraqs security-related affairs and expanded their spheres of influence within the country sinceIS'2014 onslaught.

One key question is who will step in to fill the power vacuum in post-IS Mosul. Will the United Statesrevert to its previous retreat from the Middle East, or will it opt to reassure its regional allies by keeping at least a part of its current forces in Iraq? Will Iran seek to establish a presence in northern Iraq, either directly or through its allies?

After having withdrawn in late 2011, the United Stateshas once again become militarily engaged in the country, deploying over 5,000 troops and special forces, and spending more than $10 billion on combating IS in Iraq and Syria.

Meanwhile, the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), composed mainly of Shiite militias, have gone through a process of state legitimization, becoming a part of Iraqs security forces. Given that Tehran supports large parts of the PMU both militarily and financially, the PMU presence in the Mosul operation has undoubtedly caused concern in Washington about the possible expansion of Irans influence in Iraq. While Iranian officials reject the notion that Iran supports the PMU with the purpose of increasing its regional clout and expanding its sphere of influence in Iraq, the support does indeed greatly serve Iranian interests. Thus, one of the key objectives of the United Statesin post-IS Mosul will likely be to seek to control and contain Iranian influence.

In other words, the PMU may be on a collision course with the United Statesand its partners in northern Iraq.

In this equation, it should be borne in mind that Iran directly ties the securityof its borders to the security and stabilization of Mosul. Brig. Gen.Iraj Masjedi, a senior adviser to Maj.Gen.Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force (the foreign operations branch of the Islamic Revolutionary GuardCorps), has called the fight against IS tantamount to defense of the security and geopolitical situation of Iran. Masjedi Irans incoming ambassador to Iraq said March 9 in Tehran that the Islamic Republic will definitely support Iraq's territorial integrity. He further emphasizedthe importance of Iran's fostering Iraqi security forces after victory in Mosul and the defeat of ISin order to prevent the possible formation of other clandestine terrorist groups. He also expressed support for further security cooperation between Iran and Iraq, besides the ongoing military collaboration. In other words, Iranian officials see Iran's presence in Iraq as a matter of ensuring Irans own national security and not simply as part of a power struggle.

Mohammad Sadegh Koushki, a prominent Middle East expert at the University of Tehran, told Al-Monitor that he believes Tehran does not have a clear-cut special plan for post-IS Mosul. He said, Iran did not get directly involved in the Mosul operation, as the Iraqi government had not asked for it. Iran has only supported the PMU indirectly in this operation, upon the official request of the Iraqi government. Butthe stability of Iraq is important for the Islamic Republic of Iran, because the future of Iran's security is tied to it.

The exact number of fighters serving with active Shiite militias in Iraq is not clear. Butthere are estimates of between 100,000 to 120,000 militiamen, most of them organized under the banner of the PMU. Although the Iraqi parliament has passed legislation to make the PMU an official wing of Iraqis security forces, little is clear about the PMU's future role within the countrys armed forces. The United Statesis worried about the political influence of the PMU, as a large portion of it receives direct Iranian backing. PMU representative Karim al-Nourisaid that taking into account the role of PMU militias in defending Iraq against IS, achieving long-term political goals is a legitimate demand on their part.

The United Statesand Iran look at the Iraqi parliaments PMUlegislation through different lenses. The Islamic Republic supports the Nov. 26 law. Rear Adm.Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said in a meeting with Iraqi Vice President Nouri al-Maliki in Tehran on Jan. 3 that the legislation was the result of the PMU's constructive performance. Shamkhani further emphasized that the PMU enjoyed a strategic potential in providing Iraq's future security.

Meanwhile, the United Stateswants to play an active role in determining the future of the PMU and facilitating the demobilization or integration of the remaining PMU units into the Iraqi security forces in order to manage its power, as it might influence US interests in Iraq. The integration of the PMUinto the existing security forces under the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry would prevent the buildup of strong institutions outside of the governmental structure, akin to the Iranian Basij. The United Statesis concerned that the PMU may turn into a Hezbollah-type proxy of Iran, potentially escalating regional rivalries by antagonizing regional powers such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Thus, the post-IS governance of Mosul and the contribution of each of the involved forces in the distribution of power appears likely to be the biggest challenge ahead. One of the possible scenarios is that Mosul will return to its pre-IS status, with the Iraqi central government assuming full authority over Ninevahprovince. Both Baghdad and Tehran support this scenario, although Sunni Arab communities and Kurds do not and believe that reverting to the previous situation will not solve security problems. Koushki said the favored US scenario is to turn Ninevahinto a Sunni regionlike the Kurdistan region. He said the more serious US presence in Iraq in recent years shows that Washingtons purpose is to weaken the Iraqi central government and influenceBaghdads political landscape. How Iran might respond to the latter remains unclear. The University of Tehran professor added, While Iran advocates Iraqs territorial integrity, it will support the decisions of the Iraqis.

Read More: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/03/iran-us-mosul-isis-confrontation-pmf-hashd-shaabi.html

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The coming Iran-US confrontation in Iraq - Al-Monitor

In a sign of the Iranian governments increasing openness over its involvement in Syrias civil war, state television will air a documentary during the Iranian New Year known as Nowruz praising the thousands of pro-Iranian fighters who died in Syria over the years.

The documentary is in 13 parts and will air for 13 days, corresponding with the 13-day celebration of New Year in Iran.

The documentary, which will present pro-Iranian fighters as the guardian of Zeinab shrine, a major Shiite holy site in Syria, will be aired on Irans official TV Channel, IRIB 2 in a show titled From Heaven.

Experts say that by airing the documentary during Nowruz, Iran wants to ensure that it reaches most of its citizens in the country, because television viewership increases dramatically during the holiday season in the country.

Schools and most organizations are closed for literally 13 days in Iran for Nowruz, and TV is a big part of that long holiday, said Majid Beheshti a British-based former TV producer at Iranian TV.

State TV traditionally airs New Years programming that highlights Nowruz festivals and stories of Iranian history and origin. But this year will mark a break with that tradition.

Iranian government has often glorified its military involvement in Syria, but this is the first time that a documentary about fallen fighters in Syria is going be aired on prime time at one of the three major TV channels of Iran, Nureddin Yousefi, a Tehran based TV and movie critic, said.

Defending the Shrine

Tehran claims its forces are in Syria only to protect the Zeinab Shrine in Damascus, a Shi'ite holy site.

But since 2012, Iran has acted as a major ally of the Syrian regime in Damascus, and backed Syrian troops in their war with rebel groups across the country.

The Iranian presence in Syria initially began with Iranian advisers going there, but later on, the country expanded its role by deploying elite forces from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which has a strong footprint now on almost all front lines where Syrian government forces engage with the rebels.

Iran has been trying to justify the legitimacy of its presence in Syria and win domestic support for its continued involvement in the conflict on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad.

The new documentary seems to be part of those efforts to camouflage the Iranian military presence into defending a noble and religious cause in a foreign land.

State propaganda

But critics, like British-based former Iranian TV producer Majid Beheshti believe it will do little to achieve that goal.

Nowruz programs are mostly of happy themes and comedies when people can forget about routines and have some fun among families. Bringing a program with that propaganda theme on one of the most viewed Iranian TV channels in Nowruz prime time is not probably going to win peoples hearts and minds, Beheshti said.

Amir Khorshidi Fard, the producer of the show where the documentary about the shrine defenders will be aired, argued that it will present a clear picture of who the defenders are and will shed light on their diversity.

The show, which features the Iranian militias killed in Syria trying to figure out the identity of those martyrs will also tackle rumors about the high salary they receive to defend the shrine, Amir Khorshidi Fard told VOA.

Khorshidi added that focusing on family members of the fallen fighters in a documentary will give people a better understanding about shrine defenders and will humanize them.

Among shrine defenders in Syria, there are large number of foreign fighters as well, including Afghans and Pakistanis who are lured by various incentives to fight for Iran in support of Assad in Syria.

Western media outlets estimate the number of Afghans fighting in Syria to be between 10- and 12,000 fighters they are part of the Fatemiyon Brigade.

Iran also has recruited more than 1,000 Pakistan Shiites to fight alongside Iranian-backed fighters supporting government forces in Syrias civil war.

Pakistani fighters are part of the Zainabeyon Brigade.

Pakistani authorities recently banned a local humanitarian organization for luring and sending Shiite youths from several northwestern areas in Pakistan to Iran.

Shiite youths were reported receiving military training before their deployment to Syria.

For years since Irans military involvement in Syria began in 2012, funerals of the fallen foreign fighters were kept from public view. But recently Iranian authorities have begun to go public about them and glorify them.

Last month, Tehran municipality held a ceremony commemorating fallen Afghan fighters in Syria.

Read more:
Iran State TV to Air Documentary Glorifying Fallen Fighters in Syria - Voice of America

BBC News

UK woman jailed in Iran: government 'should condemn sentence' BBC News The family of a British-Iranian woman held in Iran has said the UK government should do more to support her. Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was detained while trying to leave the country with her baby daughter in April 2016. Her sister-in-law, Rebecca Jones ...

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UK woman jailed in Iran: government 'should condemn sentence' - BBC News

Seyyed Ali Qazi-Askar, the representative of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs

A senior Iranian official says an agreement with Saudi Arabia enabling Hajj pilgrimage for Iranians this year came after the kingdom submitted to the Islamic Republics conditions.

Seyyed Ali Qazi-Askar, the representative of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Hajj and pilgrimage affairs, was cited as making the remarks in a report carried by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcastings News Agency on Saturday.

The final agreement came about after several bouts of negotiations with the Saudi Hajj minister, which featured the stipulation of Irans straight and logical approach, he said. The accord, he said, enables dispatch of 86,000 Iranians on pilgrimage.

The Saudis declared that they would take the responsibility and ensure comfort, esteem, dignity, and safetyfor the Iranian pilgrims while they are in the kingdom.

In September 2015, a deadly human crush occurred during Hajj rituals in Mina, near Mecca. Days into the incident, Saudi Arabia published a death toll of 770 but refused to update it despite gradually surging fatality figures from individual countries whose nationals had been among the victims of the crush. Unofficial sources put the death toll at almost 7,000 people. Iran said about 465 of its nationals lost their lives in the incident.

Earlier thatmonth, a massive construction crane operated by the Saudi Binladin Group conglomerate had collapsed onto Meccas Grand Mosque, killing more than 100 pilgrims, including 11 Iranians, and injuring over 200 others, 32 of them from Iran.

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Qazi-Askar said Iran hasinterviewed hundreds of witnesses, and prepared video footage and other instances of evidence tobe submitted to a fact-finding mission.

Concerning the crane crash incident, Qazi-Askar said it has been agreed that the Saudi Binladin group pay blood money to the victims' families in two tranches.

Asked if the Hajj agreement was to have any impact on ties between the two countries, he said pilgrimage is a religious obligation that hasnothing to do with the status of diplomatic ties.

Saudi Arabia unilaterally severed its diplomatic ties with Iran in January after protests outsideits diplomatic premises in Tehran and Mashhad against the execution by Riyadh of eminent Saudi Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr.

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'Deal reached after Saudis submitted to Iran's Hajj conditions' - Press TV