— 🇸🇾/🇮🇷 Source inside Syria tells me that reports of 'all Iranian advisors leaving Syria' are false.

Some IRGC elements indeed left through Al-Bukamal crossing into Iraq while it was being handed over by the SAA to the SDF, mostly for practical reasons, as the road to Palmyra would have been much longer, and because the advisors supervised the crossing, which is now no longer under SAA control.

Almost all of the IRGC advisors, Afghan Fatemiyoun, and other Shia militias are currently in Damascus, especially in the Sayyida Zainab area near the shrine of Lady Zainab, after having relocated from western Aleppo. Also some presence near the Presidential palace and the Iranian Embassy.

Some high-ranking Iranian advisors, although very few, still remain inside Homs, in an effort to help organize the city's defensive lines in anticipation of the upcoming HTS offensive.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇸🇾 Also, it should be noted that the Iranian presence in Syria is not really a conventional fighting force, and never has been, contrary to what some people believe.

It's mostly IRGC advisors that help supervise SAA units, their maintenance, logistics, etc., in addition to some lightly armed Afghan Fatemiyoun units, which are basically skirmishers, troops you deploy to defend a trench or operate a machine gun pit, or to rush lightly defended ('soft') enemy lines.

In some very dire circumstances, like in 2015 and 2016, Iranian special forces and some highly motivated & well-armed Basij units were deployed to secure specific high value targets and to achieve certain tactical objectives.

But their numbers and their usage was limited, and 90% of their operations took place against ISIS (with the exception of some engagements in Aleppo) and in the countryside against irregular Daesh 'infantry', not conventional warfare with armored formations against the HTS / SNA in a highly urban and high-speed environment.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇸🇾 Iranian Foreign Minister: A political dialogue must take place between the Syrian government and the 'legitimate opposition groups' (implying not HTS)

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇮🇷/🇸🇾 NEW: Ali Larijani, former Parliament Speaker and current special representative of Supreme Leader Khamenei, is currently in Damascus meeting personally with Assad

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇵🇸/🇮🇱 WATCH: Al-Qassam Brigades have released a recorded video message from Israeli hostage Matan Zanguaker, in which he addresses the Israeli Prime Minister, settlers, and his family.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— ❗️🇸🇾/🇦🇪 NEW: A Syrian government plane took off from Damascus and is about to land in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇸🇾 Allegedly, the President's son, Hafez Bashar al-Assad, uploaded a picture from Damascus tonight.

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇸🇾 NEW: The General Command of the Syrian Arab Army says it not surrender, and that it will continue the war, and will wage battles for Damascus, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Daraa

@Middle_East_Spectator

— 🇸🇾 Map of the rebel advance towards Damascus in March 2013.

Recovering from the current situation is not impossible, but looking at SAA morale, very unlikely.

@Middle_East_Spectator