(Maariv-Jerusalem Post-Times of Israel) Syrian President Bashar Assad has shunned the commander of Iranian forces in Syria, Javad Ghaffari, Al-Arabiya reported Wednesday. Sources in the presidential palace said Ghaffari had been dealing with the smuggling of goods and the establishment of a black weapons market that could compete with the Syrian market. In addition, the Saudi news channel Al-Hadath reported that the Syrians blamed the Iranians for taking advantage of Syria's natural and economic resources for its own gain and for evading tax payments to the Syrian regime. It also revealed that Ghaffari had stationed Iranian forces in places that were not approved of by Syria and conducted a number of attacks against the U.S. and Israel against the regime's guidelines, including the drone attack on the U.S. base at At-Tanf in southeastern Syria on Oct. 20 by Iranian-supported militias.
2021-11-11 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive