Iran’s admission to the severe losses it suffered in the battles taking place in Khan Tuman, located near Aleppo, a few days ago, confirms the fact that it has completely drowned in the Syrian quagmire. This is a similar fate to any occupation forces that sought to gain control of any other country by military force, or even, as the Iranians claim, in response to the Syrian regime’s calls. The best evidence of this is that of Russia, Iran’s partner in the crimes against the Syrian people. It interfered in Afghanistan in 1979, during the time of the Soviet Union, under the same pretext, i.e. to save the communist regime that called on it to interfere and protect it. This intervention was the last nail in the Soviet Union’s coffin, as it collapsed only two years after announcing its withdrawal from Afghanistan, defeated and broken, in 1989. By the time it had completed its withdrawal in 1991, it declared its collapse.

This is not the only example, as the last century witnessed dozens of occupation forces being defeated by the resistance, despite being major forces. These examples include the US in Vietnam, France in Algeria, and even Israel – considered the largest military force in the world in terms of military technological advancement – failed in its raids of the Gaza Strip on several occasions and was defeated. In an attempt to turn its defeat into a victory, it hurled millions of tonnes of ammunition at Gaza, destroyed life there, and put the entire Gazan population under a blockade, the likes of which is unprecedented in human history.

Iran and its allies, i.e. Hezbollah and the Shia militias, are drinking from the same cup in Syria that their partners in Russia drank from in Afghanistan. Therefore, the Russians have different considerations regarding Syria than Iran does. Iran has sacrificed its flesh and blood to save its allied Alawite regime, bringing in Shia militias from Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc. in order to fight a holy war against the Sunnis in Syria. It allied with Russia in order to save Bashar’s regime, but since announcing its interference, it has been met with coffins at the airports on a daily basis and has held funerals for its soldiers – who it calls military consultants – on some days, and on others it holds funerals for the Shia militias for whom it allotted a cemetery in Qom to honour them for the sacred role they played in defending the Alawite regime.

Iran’s latest gross losses have confirmed to many observers that there are differences between the Iranians and Russians. This is especially true since the agreement between them stipulates that the Iranians and their allies take action on the ground, while the Russians cover them in the air. However, it seems that the Russians have their own considerations that have caused them to leave the Iranians prey to the rebels who have given them a taste of sour defeat. This is not the first, nor will it be the last, defeat they will suffer along the path chosen by the Iranians, and they will follow the path to drowning in the Syrian quagmire till the end.

Translated from AlKhaleejOnline, 11 May 2016.

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