French officials yesterday told Le Figaro newspaper that Iran was training 50 members of Syria's elite Republican Guard in anti-sedition techniques in Tehran. The troop commanders travelled to Tehran following a visit to Damascus at the start of the month by Qasim Suleimani, the head of Iran's overseas military interests. Gen Suleimani agreed to provide training for Syrian officers over the next nine months, an official told the paper. The French said the officers were members of Unit 101 from the elite 15,000-man Republican Guard force mostly recruited from President Assad's Alawi minority.