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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/world/middleeast/iran-general-syria-defeat.html
Iranian General: Iran Was "Defeated Very Badly" in Syria
(New York Times) Farnaz Fassihi - Brig.-Gen. Behrouz Esbati, Iran's top ranking general in Syria, admitted on Dec. 31 that Iran had suffered a major defeat in Syria. In a speech at a mosque in Tehran that surfaced publicly on Monday in Iranian media, Esbati said, "I don't consider losing Syria something to be proud of. We were defeated, and defeated very badly, we took a very big blow and it's been very difficult." Esbati revealed that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad had denied multiple requests for Iranian-backed militias to open a front against Israel from Syria after Oct. 7, 2023. Iran had presented Assad with comprehensive military plans on how it could use Iran's military resources in Syria to attack Israel, he said. Asked whether Iran planned to carry out a third round of direct strikes on Israel, he said that "the situation" couldn't realistically handle another attack on Israel right now. Asked why Iran would not fire missiles at U.S. military bases in the region, he said that would invite bigger retaliatory attacks on Iran by the U.S.