BEIRUT — Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed the deployment of an undisclosed number of combat troops to three military installations inside Syria on Monday — the first confirmed IRGC presence inside Syria since the January ceasefire framework was signed.
The announcement was made by IRGC Quds Force Commander Esmail Ghaani during a visit to Damascus. Israel immediately condemned the move, saying any IRGC footprint in Syria would be treated as a “direct threat.” The US Central Command demanded Iran’s forces withdraw immediately. Syrian state media confirmed the arrival but described it as a “joint counterterrorism agreement.”
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes struck an IRGC-linked weapons depot near Homs for the third time in a week, according to Syrian opposition monitors. The strikes came 48 hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that any IRGC presence in Syria would be met with a “decisive response.”
Oil prices rose above $114 per barrel on news of the deployment. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an emergency Security Council session, with consultations scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. France and Germany issued a joint statement calling on Iran to withdraw its forces “without preconditions.”