Tehran Forms New Militia To Help Protect Interests In Syria

Iranian military advisers are forming a new militia in Syria to increase Tehran's influence, reports the Voice of America News. 

Iran has recruited at least 1,200 Syrians to the fledgling militia so far, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a U.K.-based war monitor. 

The new force is part of an agreement signed by leaders of both countries in May 2017, said an Iranian defense reporter. 

An Iran-directed Syrian militia has reportedly been under discussion for some time. 

In late 2018, the pro-opposition Zaman Al Wasel news website reported that it had received Syrian defense ministry documents approving a plan to give Iran more operational autonomy in Syria. 

It is unclear what differentiates the new force from other Iranian militias operating in the country. Thousands of Syrians are believed to have served in Iranian militias deployed across the country, including Hezbollah. 

Tehran says that its forces in Syria are there to protect Shi'ite shrines. Opponents say its real objective is strengthening the Assad regime and pursuing the goal of developing a "corridor of influence" through Iraq and Syria into Lebanon.