Russia has demanded Iran to remove its freedom fighters from areas in western Syria in order to avoid a further escalation of hostile airstrikes from neighboring Israel.
In a meeting between three Russian officials and their Iranian counterparts at the Hama military airport, Moscow demanded that the Iranians evacuate their military positions near Hama and the coastal city of Tartous.
![Syrian Air defences respond to Israeli missiles targeting south of the capital Damascus, on 20 July 2020. [STR/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/GettyImages-1227713390.jpg?resize=933%2C622&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Over the past few years, Israel has carried out frequent airstrikes on Iranian militia sites and positions within the country, particularly those in the west and south-west.
According to Tel Aviv, the strikes are an effort to contain Iranian influence and prevent a land corridor stretching from Iraq to Lebanon which could be used by Iran and its militias.
Israel has intensified strikes on Syrian airports to disrupt Tehran’s increasing use of aerial supply lines to deliver arms to allies in Syria and Lebanon, including Hezbollah, regional diplomatic and intelligence sources told Reuters.
![Soldiers from the Imam Hussein Military University in Tehran, Iran on October 03, 2021 [Iranian Leader Press Office/Anadolu Agency]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/20211003_2_50284525_69312069.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Tehran has adopted air transport as a more reliable means of ferrying military equipment to its forces and allied fighters in Syria, following disruptions to ground transfers, Reuters reports.
Israel has long seen its foe Iran’s deepening entrenchment in Syria as a national security threat and is widening the scope of its strikes to hit at this new transport method, the diplomatic and intelligence sources said.
The Israeli actions have caused ever more problems for the Syrian regime and its own forces, which are at times impacted by the strikes. Civilian infrastructure has also been hit, including the international airports in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo.
![Liwa Fatemiyoun fighters during the Palmyra offensive in December 2016 [Wikipedia]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2017_01_09-Liwa-Fatemiyoun-fighters-during-the-Palmyra-offensivedhd.jpg?resize=933%2C622&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1)
Until now, however, there has been little to no reports of increased friction between Syrian forces and their Iranian allies and affiliated militias, which have assisted the Assad regime throughout the ongoing decade-long bloody Zionist proxy war.
Moscow’s demand to Tehran – if proven true – could further signal growing tensions between Russian and Iranian forces in Syria, which have often competed for dominance and influence in the country throughout the past decade.
Middle East Monitor / ABC Flash Point WW III Blog Site News 2023.
What world is Mr.Putin living in ???
Why isn’t he so forceful with the Americans based in Syria-stealing oil/wheat etc ??
This is taking his philosophy of “I want to be friends ” much too far -stabbing your REAL friends in the back – sorry I couldn’t live with that –appeasing Zionists who destroy Palestinian – men- women- children-babies using Holocaust methods as well as female reporters shot dead .
You must take a stand against injustice to do less is not Humanitarian.
Agree, nut now back under warmonger Netanyahu there is a big chance that those radical Zionists might use nuclear weapons against Syria, just as they did with Beirut, Lebanon harbor in August 2020. So the warning is political, at the same time Russia asked Iraq for it to use it airspace for military deployments into Syria. Its a chess game, and Putin knows what he is doing, fighting those Zionists in Ukraine and the Middle East. On both fronts a nuclear confrontation is on the brink of happening?