25 April 2021 – MESOP NEWS – In the evening hours of April 23, the Turkish state launched a full-scale attack on the Medya Defense Zones which are controlled by the guerrilla. After the Turkish state`s defeat in Gare on February 10, it was expected that such an attack would be launched. The 2014 `Subversion Plan` aims at finalizing the Kurdish genocide through crushing the freedom struggle of the Kurdish people. In this context the purpose of the latest full-scale attack is to finalize the Kurdish genocide. For this reason, the attacks are directed at large swathes of the Medya Defense Zones.
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MESOPOTAMIA NEWS FOCUS : Intra-Kurdish Unity Talks in Northeastern Syria Are Potentially in Jeopardy – by Kenneth R. Rosen Apr 20, 2021 FIKRA FORUM
Kenneth R. Rosen – Kenneth R. Rosen is the journalist-in-residence at the Washington Institute and a senior editor at Newsweek based in Italy. His latest book is “Bulletproof Vest” (Bloomsbury). – Brief Analysis
The talks, which resumed in April in secret sessions, have made progress toward an agreement. But many are concerned that delays and unreasonable demands have turned the talks into theater among regional parties vying for power.
Power-sharing negotiations between the two major Kurdish parties in northern Syria—an already years-long process—have nearly gone cold since President Biden took office. Due to the joint mediation of the talks by the U.S. State Department and General Mazloum Abdi of the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, the administration change in Washington has had serious repercussions on the process. In addition, bitter infighting between the two Kurdish parties has worsened their already fraught relationship. Together, these factors have weakened and delayed the talks, which are necessary for political progress in the region.
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LEONID KOVACHICH, ANDREI KOLESNIKOV CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT – APRIL 21, 2021
Summary: Russian officialdom has been eyeing China’s pervasive use of technology to surveil and control its citizens’ activities. Yet Moscow is not copying Beijing’s model whole cloth.
Is the Russian government seeking to emulate China’s strategic use of technology for social management and political control as part of an intensifying crackdown on the country’s political opposition? To be sure, Chinese authorities’ widespread use of high-tech tools for such purposes has more than piqued the curiosity of the Russian security establishment. Yet there are vast gaps between the Russian government’s aspirations and its actual ability to harness digital tools such as facial recognition software using artificial intelligence, or China’s nascent social credit system.
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Weapons and ammunition seized by ISIS operatives (Telegram, April 17, 2021)
Main events of the past week
- This week (the start of the month of Ramadan), there was an increase in the number of attacks carried out by ISIS in the various provinces in comparison with previous weeks. Noteworthy attacks include detonating a car bomb in the Shiite neighborhood of Al-Sadr in Baghdad, which killed at least 20 people, and firing at a Russian helicopter attempting to land in the Homs Desert, which killed two Russian soldiers. The latest issue of ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly included an article calling on Muslims to carry out attacks during the month of Ramadan as one of the main commandments of this month.
- In Africa, ISIS’s intensive activity continued. Nigeria: ISIS operatives, for the fourth time in a month, took over an army base and the town of Damasak on the Nigeria-Niger border. This takeover, like its predecessors, lasted several hours, after which the ISIS operatives left the area after setting fire to public buildings. In the town of Kamuya, in northeastern Nigeria, ISIS operatives attacked an army post. At least 10 soldiers were killed in the exchange of fire and several others were wounded. Niger: ISIS operatives attacked army forces and a police headquarters in the Diffa region, on the Niger-Nigeria border. Sixteen soldiers and policemen, including an officer, were killed, and several others were wounded.
- Syria: This week, ISIS carried out two noteworthy attacks against the Syrian security forces in the Hawran region in southern Syria. In the Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region, ISIS continued its terrorist activity against the Kurdish SDF forces. One noteworthy attack was carried out on April 13, 2021. It began with rocket fire at a camp of the SDF forces in Al-Jasmi, east of Deir ez-Zor. Two IEDs were activated against forces that arrived at the scene to provide assistance. At least 10 SDF fighters were killed or wounded. According to a Russian report, Russian forces carried out an airstrike against an ISIS base near Palmyra. About 200 operatives were killed and large quantities of equipment were destroyed.
- Iraq: The most noteworthy attack was the detonation of a car bomb in a Shiite neighborhood in eastern Baghdad. It should be noted that this was the first attack in Baghdad (which has seen many attacks in the past) since January 21, 2021. In addition, there was an increase in the number of attacks in the Kirkuk Province this week.
- The Sinai Peninsula: ISIS continued its activity against the Egyptian security forces, albeit on a small scale. ISIS’s Sinai Province released a video threatening residents of the Sinai Peninsula, especially members of the tribal militias operating alongside the Egyptian security forces, lest they take action against ISIS.
- Asia: In Afghanistan, ISIS continued its activity against the security forces, mainly in the form of activating IEDs. India: Fields of grain belonging to Hindus in the New Delhi region were set on fire as part of what ISIS calls its economic war.
- The chapter dealing with the threats posed by ISIS and Al-Qaeda in the American Intelligence Community’s annual threat assessment report published on April 9, 2021, states that these organizations remain the greatest Sunni terrorist threats to US interests overseas. It is estimated that these organizations are also working to carry out attacks on US soil, although counterterrorism activity on the part of the US and its allies has significantly reduced their ability to do so. Lone wolves in the US and small, ideologically-motivated squads still pose a greater immediate domestic threat.
The Syrian arena
Syrian governorates (freeworldmaps.net)
The Idlib region
- Exchanges of artillery fire continued between the Syrian army the forces supporting it, and the rebel forces.
- On April 15, 2021, two fighters from the forces supporting the Syrian army were killed in an explosion in the Jabal al-Zawiya region, in the southeastern part of the rebel enclave (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 15, 2021). In response, the Syrian army fired rockets at HTS targets in the region. It also fired machine guns at the Al-Ghab Plain, in the southwestern part of the rebel enclave. No casualties were reported (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 16, 2021).
- On April 13, 2021, the Syrian army fired artillery at the Al-Ghab Plain. In response, the rebel forces fired a guided missile at a Syrian army vehicle. The passengers on board were killed or wounded (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 13, 2021).
The Deir ez-Zor-Al-Mayadeen region
- ISIS operatives continued to carry out attacks in the region, mainly against SDF forces and government officials affiliated with them. A noteworthy attack was carried out in April 13, 2021: rockets were fired at an SDF camp in Al-Jasmi, east of Deir ez-Zor. When forces arrived at the scene to provide assistance, two IEDs were activated against them. At least 10 SDF fighters were killed and wounded, and the camp sustained heavy damage. Following are additional incidents according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility:
- On April 20, 2021, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle about 20 km north of Al-Mayadeen. The passengers were wounded.
- On April 20, 2021, an SDF intelligence operative was shot dead in the Diban area, about 3 km east of Al-Mayadeen.
- On April 19, 2021, an SDF “spy” was targeted by gunfire in Shahil, about 10 km north of Al-Mayadeen. On the same day, an SDF intelligence operative was also targeted by gunfire in the area. He was wounded.
- On April 17, 2021, an SDF vehicle in the Diban area was targeted by machine gun fire. A commander and his escort were killed, and the vehicle was put out of commission. On the same day, an IED was activated against an SDF truck in the Basira area, about 15 km north of Al-Mayadeen. Two SDF fighters were killed, and at least five others were wounded.
- On April 15, 2021, an SDF intelligence operative was targeted by machine gun fire in the Sour area, about 50 km northwest of Deir ez-Zor.
The Al-Raqqah region
- On April 19, 2021, an IED was activated against an SDF vehicle on the Al-Raqqah-al-Sahl road, southwest of Al-Raqqah. The passengers on board were killed or wounded.
The Al-Hasakah region
- An IED was activated against an SDF truck carrying logistical equipment south of Al-Hasakah, near the border between Syria and Iraq. One SDF fighter was killed and two others were wounded. The truck was destroyed.
The desert region (Al-Badia)
- On April 17, 2021, according to ISIS’s reports, Russian soldiers dropped from a helicopter in the Al-Sukhnah area (about 120 km southwest of Deir ez-Zor) were attacked by ISIS gunfire. According to ISIS, two soldiers were killed and several others were wounded. According to the same report, the helicopter was also damaged but could take off. It should be noted that in the Russian media, there is no mention of the above incident.
- On April 16, 2021, two civilians were killed by the explosion of a mine left by ISIS northwest of Palmyra (Al-Alam, April 16, 2021).
Southern Syria
- This week, ISIS’s media reported on activity against the Syrian security forces in Hawran, in southern Syria. Following are the incidents according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility:
- On April 20, 2021, two Syrian soldiers were targeted by gunfire in Ghadir al-Bustan, in Quneitra’s rural area. They were killed and their weapons were seized.
- On April 15, 2021, a vehicle of the Syrian regime’s military security apparatus was targeted by machine gun fire in Nawa, west of Daraa. Two military apparatus operatives were killed and two others were wounded. The vehicle was put out of commission.
Russian activity
Russian airstrikes
- On April 19, 2021, Russian planes carried out over 200 sorties in the Palmyra area (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 19-20, 2021). According to Rear Adm. Alexander Karpov, the Deputy Director of the Russian Reconciliation Center in Syria, the Russian army received intelligence on armed operatives who had established a camouflaged base near Palmyra. After confirming the intelligence, Russian fighter jets attacked the base. Two facilities where operatives were hiding were destroyed and at least 200 operatives were killed. In addition, they destroyed 24 vans carrying machine guns and 500 kg of ammunition and components for manufacturing IEDs. According to the Russian spokesman, the facilities that were attacked had served as a base for terrorist groups about to carry out attacks throughout Syria (Arab News, April 20, 2021). The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights questions the credibility of the above report, since ISIS operatives usually move in small groups and are not in the habit of concentrating in one base. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that the Russian military sources disseminated the report in response to an announcement by ISIS a few hours before that its operatives had attacked a helicopter and killed two Russian soldiers during a failed landing operation in the Syrian Desert (Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, April 20, 2021).
Bringing orphaned children from Syria back to Russia
- A Russian Defense Ministry airplane flying from Syria with 44 Russian orphaned children landed in a Moscow airport. Most of the children, aged 2-16, arrived from the Al-Hawl camp controlled by the Kurds in northeastern Syria (where families of ISIS operatives are being held). Ten of them arrived from a Damascus orphanage. Anna Kuznetsova, the Children’s Rights Commissioner for the President of the Russian Federation, was in charge of bringing the children to Russia. Repatriating the children is part of a series of efforts by Russia to repatriate young people with Russian citizenship, family members of ISIS operatives, from Syria and Iraq (TASS, April 19, 2021).
The Iraqi arena
Provinces of Iraq (Wikipedia)
- This week, there has been an increase in the number of attacks carried out by ISIS operatives in the various provinces in Iraq. Most of the attacks were directed against the Iraqi security forces and the militias supporting them. A noteworthy attack was carried out in a Shiite neighborhood in Baghdad, killing many civilians. Following are prominent attacks according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility.
Baghdad Province
- Four people were killed and about 20 were wounded when a car bomb exploded in the Al-Habibiya open market in the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, in eastern Baghdad (Reuters, April 15, 2021; Al-Arabiya, April 18, 2021). ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack and noted that it had been carried out by a car bomb, which could be driven into the market area in spite of the many security measures taken in the city. According to ISIS, about 20 Shiites were killed or wounded in the attack (Telegram, April 16, 2021).
- According to information obtained by the Saudi Al-Arabiya channel, pro-Iranian elements were behind the attack. According to that information, the car bomb was supposed to be detonated in a main street in Baghdad, against a logistical assistance convoy of the International Coalition forces. However, due to a malfunction, the car caught fire, the driver abandoned it, and it exploded. It was further reported that the driver, Hossein Ali Mahmoud al-Fartousi, who was wounded and is in a stable condition, is an operative of the pro-Iranian Sayyid al-Shuhada militia, which is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Al-Arabiya, April 18, 2021).
- This is the first attack carried out in Baghdad (which has seen many attacks in the past) since January 21, 2021. A previous suicide bombing attack took place about two years ago, on June 21, 2019, in the Shiite Al-Mahdi Mosque in the city. The target of the attack, a crowded market in a Shiite neighborhood in the city, was targeted in a series of attacks carried out by ISIS operatives, and therefore it is more likely that ISIS, which claimed official responsibility for carrying out this attack, is behind it this time as well.
The scene of the attack in the Al-Habibiya market (Al-Sumaria, April 17, 2021)
Diyala Province
- On April 19, 2021, two army camps south of the Al-Azim area, about 50 km north of Baqubah, were targeted by gunfire. Two soldiers were killed and an officer and a soldier were wounded. The same day, ISIS operatives destroyed 40 generators and transformers used by the Tribal Mobilization forces in the area.
- On April 19, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle about 2 km southeast of Baqubah. The vehicle was destroyed and the passengers on board were killed or wounded.
- On April 12, 2021, an IED was activated against a group of policemen operating in Umm al-Khanazir, in the Al-Waqf area, northwest of Baqubah. Nine policemen were wounded.
- On April 12, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army vehicle in the Al-Mansouria area, about 50 km northeast of Baqubah. No casualties were reported. The vehicle was put out of commission. An IED was activated against another vehicle, in the Kara Tapa area, about 75 km north of Baqubah. Three soldiers were killed and two others were wounded. The vehicle was destroyed.
Kirkuk Province
- In the Kirkuk region this week, there has been an increase in ISIS’s activity against the Iraqi army and the forces supporting it (the Popular Mobilization and the Tribal Mobilization). Following are several noteworthy attacks according to ISIS’s claims of responsibility:
- On April 18, 2021, rockets and machine guns were fired at an Iraqi police camp in the Rashad area, about 35 km southeast of Kirkuk. One policeman was wounded and the camp sustained damage.
- On April 17, 2021, several IEDs were activated against two oil wells near Al-Dabas, about 30 km northwest of Kirkuk. According to Iraqi sources, the wells were not damaged. According to ISIS, the wells did sustain damage (Telegram, April 18, 2021; Al-Sumaria, April 17, 2021). It appears to be yet another attack carried out as part of the “economic war” waged by ISIS against the Iraqi regime.
- On April 16, 2021, rockets and machine guns were fired at three joint camps of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization forces near the Al-Haliwa airport, south of Kirkuk. A force arriving on the scene to provide assistance was also attacked. Four soldiers were killed and five others were wounded.
- On April 16, 2021, an Iraqi army camp was targeted by gunfire near Al-Kayf, about 30 km northwest of Kirkuk. Two soldiers were killed.
- On April 16, 2021, an Iraqi police camp was targeted by gunfire in the Riyad region, about 50 km southwest of Kirkuk. Two policemen were killed.
- On April 15, 2021, rockets were fired at houses of Tribal Mobilization fighters about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk.
- On April 13, 2021, an Iraqi police camp was targeted by gunfire in the Daquq area, in the southern part of Kirkuk. Three policemen were killed and another was wounded.
- ISIS’s intensive activity in the Kirkuk region was documented in a series of photos disseminated by ISIS’s media and entitled Part of the caliphate soldiers’ attacks against camps of Islam renegades in the various areas of Kirkuk (Telegram, April 19, 2021).
The title of the series of photos documenting ISIS’s activity in Kirkuk (Telegram, April 19, 2021)
Right: Rocket fired at the houses of the Tribal Mobilization fighters about 40 km southwest of Kirkuk (Telegram, April 19, 2021). Left: ISIS operatives on their way to attack an Iraqi police camp in the Rashad area, about 35 km southeast of Kirkuk (Telegram, April 19, 2021).
Salah al-Din Province
- On April 18, 2021, an IED was activated against a mukhtar (head of a neighborhood) on the outskirts of Samarra.
- On April 15, 2021, two camps of the Iraqi army and the Popular Mobilization were targeted by gunfire in the Tuz Khormato region, about 100 km northeast of Samarra. Three soldiers were killed.
- On April 12, 2021, an Iraqi army intelligence operative was targeted by gunfire near Tarmiyah, about 30 km north of Baghdad. He was killed.
Al-Anbar Province
- On April 18, 2021, rockets were fired at an Iraqi army camp west of Hit. Direct hits were reported but no casualties were mentioned.
- On April 17, 2021, mortar shells were fired at an Iraqi army camp east of Al-Rutba, on the international highway. Direct hits were reported but no casualties were mentioned.
Nineveh Province
- On April 18, 2021, an IED was activated against an Iraqi army foot patrol south of Mosul. Three soldiers were wounded.
Counterterrorism measures in Iraq
Nineveh Province
- The Iraqi judiciary announced that a large quantity of valuables estimated at about $1.6 million had been found under the rubble in the city of Mosul. The valuables were left behind by ISIS operatives who controlled the city at the time. They consisted of gold and silver coins, gold artifacts and jewels. They were transferred to the Iraqi Central Bank (aramme.com, April 16, 2021). Two days earlier, the Iraqi security forces located a workshop for manufacturing explosives in the Tal Afar region, in western Iraq. It contained substances for manufacturing explosives, shells, mortars, and bullets of various types (Al-Sumaria, April 14, 2021).
Kirkuk Province
- The Ministry of the Interior reported that police had found IEDs and explosive devices in several sites in the Kirkuk Province (Al-Sumaria, April 19, 2021).
The Sinai Peninsula
- A relatively small number of attacks were reported this week. On April 12, 2021, ISIS operatives fired machine guns at an Egyptian army foot patrol on the international highway near Bir al-Abd. At least one soldier was wounded.
An ISIS video warning the residents of the Sinai Peninsula
- ISIS’s Sinai Province released a video containing threats against residents of the Sinai Peninsula, especially the tribal militias operating in support of the Egyptian security forces. In the 13-minute long video, ISIS operatives warn the residents not to act against ISIS, threatening that they will take strong action against them thus making them suffer a bitter fate. To enhance what has been said, the video also contains photos documenting ISIS’s activity against the Egyptian security forces, attacks carried out by the operatives, executions of collaborators with the Egyptian regime (one of them a Christian who erected a church in Sinai, from which, according to the video, security elements were operating against ISIS), and more (Telegram, April 17, 2021).
- The Egyptian Ministry of the Interior released a statement, according to which three terrorist operatives were killed in the Sinai Peninsula and the involvement of three others in the abduction and killing of a Christian resident in northern Sinai has been confirmed (@mahmoudgamal44 Twitter account, April 19, 2021).
Summary of ISIS’s activity in the various provinces
- This week, ISIS posted an infographic summing up its activity around the globe on April 7-14, 2021. According to the infographic, during this period, ISIS operatives carried out 43 attacks in the various provinces in Asia and Africa, compared to 34 in the previous week. The largest number of attacks were carried out in Syria (11) and Iraq (11). Attacks carried out in ISIS’s other provinces: West Africa (10); Central Africa (4); Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (3); Sinai (2); Somalia (1); and India (1) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, April 15, 2021).
- According to the infographic, 115 people were killed and wounded in those attacks, compared to 102 in the previous week. The largest number of casualties was in West Africa (46). The other casualties were in the following provinces: Iraq (29); Syria (26); Central Africa (4); Khorasan, i.e., Afghanistan (4); Somalia (3); and Sinai (3) (Al-Naba’ weekly, Telegram, April 15, 2021).
- According to the infographic, the number of casualties in Africa is still very high, although the largest number of attacks were carried out in Syria and Iraq.
The infographic in ISIS’s Al-Naba’ weekly (Al-Naba’, Telegram, April 15, 2021)
In a $1.6 billion agreement, Elbit Systems will establish and operate the international center for the Hellenic Air Force for 22 years, incorporating combat scenarios just like IAF.
The Greece-Israel signing ceremony in Athens: At right is Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas, head of the International Defense Cooperation Directorate at the Defense Ministry, and on the left is Greece’s Director-General of the General Directorate of Defense Investments and Armaments, Lt. Gen. Theodoros Lagios, April 16, 2021. Credit: Israeli Defense Ministry.
(April 21, 2021 / JNS) In the biggest defense agreement yet between Israel and Greece, officials from both countries signed a government-to-government contract last week in Athens, which will see Israel’s Elbit Systems company construct a state-of-the-art international flight training center in Greece.The agreement, worth approximately $1.6 billion, assigns Elbit to establish and operate the center for 22 years.
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The purpose of the meeting though so close to elections, did raise eyebrows.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFF JERUSALEM POST – APRIL 21, 2021 14:02
Yamina MK Ayelet Shaked secretly met with Mossad chief Yossi Cohen a week before the March 23rd election, Walla News reported on Wednesday.
The report quoted sources who said that the meeting did not deal with politics but focused on security-legal issues. Shaked served as a member of the inner security cabinet and as Israel’s justice minister from 2015 to 2019.
The purpose of the meeting though so close to elections, did raise eyebrows. Cohen is a known close confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who has touted the Mossad chief as a potential future successor. He is also known to be interested in running for political office once his term ends in June.
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April 20, 2021 – Iran, Syria | Special Dispatch No. 9292 – The following is a complimentary offering from the MEMRI Iran Threat Monitor Project (ITMP)..Syrian business tycoon Firas Tlass said that certain areas in Syria are completely under Iranian or Hizbullah control, and that President Bashar Al-Assad does not know what is happening in those areas. He made these remarks on Al-Arabiya Network (Saudi Arabia) in an interview that aired on March 24, 2021 and on March 25, 2021. Tlass said that the areas controlled by Iran are used to bring in weapons and supplies to Hizbullah, as part of food and equipment shipments to Iranian militias active in Syria. Tlass also said that weapons and advanced missiles parts are hidden in vegetable trucks and then transferred into Hizbullah-controlled territories in southern Syria and Lebanon. He said that Iran now has complete control over the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center, charged with creating biological and chemical weapons. Firas Tlass is the son of former Syrian Minister of Defense Mustafa Tlass.
“The Area Between Al-Qusayr And The Syria-Lebanon Border Is Under The Complete Control Of Hizbullah; Hama Airport Is Under Complete Iranian Control”
Firas Tlass: “There are areas in Syria that are controlled by Iranian officers. Al-Assad does not know and does not want to know [what goes on there]. There are some areas in the desert… The area between Al-Qusayr and the Syria-Lebanon border is under the complete control of Hizbullah.
“Hama airport is under complete Iranian control.
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The most public face of the campaign is Reza Pahlavi, the deposed Shah’s son and Iran’s last heir to the throne before the overthrow of the monarchy in 1979. – By NEVILLE TELLER JERUSALEM POST – APRIL 18, 2021
A new and rapidly growing popular rebellion is affecting the Iranian regime. On March 11, a statement signed by 640 eminent Iranians, some living within and some outside Iran, was posted on-line in English and Persian with the hashtag #No2IslamicRepublic. It marked the launch of a new anti-government movement.
The founding statement called for the overthrow of the Iranian regime, describing it as “the biggest obstacle in the way of freedom, prosperity, democracy, progress, and human rights.” The signatories urged Iranian activists to unite, to make #No2IslamicRepublic their national solidarity objective, and “to create a massive movement that can purge Iran from this dark and corrupt regime.” Many ordinary Iranians posted images on social media of murdered and executed dissidents and political prisoners, along with other examples of social and cultural oppression by the Islamic Republic since its establishment in 1979.
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Kanal Istanbul project challenges Russia, shakes up region – analyst
- Apr 17 2021 09:48 Gmt+3 AHVAL NEWS – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Kanal Istanbul waterway project is creating concern for Russia over the new route it will provide for Western warships during a conflict, analyst Zvi Bar’el wrote in Israeli Haaretz newspaper on Saturday.
Russia, Brussels and the countries bordering the Black Sea are concerned because the canal project would give Turkey sole authority to govern the traffic and cargo passing through the waters, in addition permitting the passage of warships from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, Bar’el wrote.
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The secretary general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought (second on the left) in a meeting with senior Iraqi Shia clerics and the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad. Source: the website of the Forum, April 8
The meeting between the senior adviser to the speaker of the Majlis with the Syrian ambassador to Tehran. ( Website of the Majlis, April 8 2021)
Esmail Qa’ani, the Commander of the IRGC’s Qods Force. ( al-Alam, April 6 2021 )
The meeting between the Iraqi national security adviser and the secretary of the Iranian Supreme National Security Council( ISNA, April 12 2021)
Overview
- In mid-April, the senior adviser to the Iranian minister of foreign affairs met with the special envoy of the Russian president to the Middle East and with the UN special envoy to Syria and discussed developments in Syria, and particularly the negotiations concerning the settlement of the war.
- Iranian news websites reported that the wife of the Syrian president, Asmaa’ al-Assad, recently acted to stop the activities of private companies in Syria that are linked to Iranian investors. According to this report, whose reliability is unclear, the president’s wife moves were carried out in coordination with the Russian embassy in Damascus and are intended to reduce Iran’s involvement in Syria’s economy.
- On April 5-6, the commander of the Qods Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) visited Iraq and met with senior Iraqi officials and heads of parties and political blocs in the country. His visit was conducted against the backdrop of another round of the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States, which was held last week. The Associated Press news agency reported that in parallel to this visit, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kazimi, sent a stern message to Iran, demanding that Tehran restrain the pro-Iranian militias operating in his country.
- On April 12, the Iraqi national security adviser arrived for a visit in Tehran, during which he met with the secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, the minister of defense and minister of foreign affairs of Iran. The Iranian officials stressed in their meeting with the high-ranking Iraqi official the need to expedite the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. The issue of the American pullout from Iraq was also discussed in a phone call, held on April 14, between the Iranian and Iraqi presidents, on the occasion of the start of the month of Ramadan.
Iranian Involvement in Syria
- On April 8, the Adviser on Foreign Affairs to the Speaker of the Majlis, Hossein-Amir Abdollahian met with the Syrian Ambassador to Tehran, Shafik Dayoub. Abdollahian condemned the American sanctions imposed on Syria, labeling them “economic terrorism.” He declared that Syria is at the forefront of the “Resistance Front” and that Iran will continue to stand by Syria, the Syrian people and the Syrian leadership. He called for bolstering parliamentary cooperation between the two countries and remarked that soon parliamentary delegations from both countries will exchange visits between Tehran and Damascus. The Syrian ambassador expressed full support for Iran’s stance in the negotiations concerning the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the Iran nuclear deal) and its demand for a complete lifting of economic sanctions levied against it. He also thanked Iran for its unyielding support for Syria (ISNA, April 8).
- On April 13, Ali-Asghar Khaji, the Senior Adviser of the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of the Russian President to the Middle East, Mikhail Bogdanov, and discussed developments in Syria and Yemen. The two discussed the ongoing negotiations concerning the settlement of the war in Syria (Tehran Times, April 13). On April 15, Khaji met with the UN Special Envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, and discussed the talks in the political track focused on ending the war in Syria, and the discussions of the constitutional committee (Tasnim, April 15).
- Rostam Qasemi, the former Iranian Minister of Oil during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, addressed in an interview to Iranian television the Iranian investments in Syria and Iraq. He remarked that in Iraq, Iran’s intervention did not cost anything, while in Syria, Iran received a compensation for its expenses through “thousands of billions of tonnes” of phosphates that Syria is supposed to provide to Iran as part of a deal signed between the two countries (Asr-e Iran, April 9). A commentary published on the website Asr-e Iran (April 10) criticized the statements of the former minister, stating that the data he provided concerning the amount of phosphates in Syria are baseless and that the amount of phosphates in mines worldwide is merely 65 billion tonnes, and 50 billion of them are under Moroccan soil. The website quoted a statement from the Syrian minister of oil who reported that the amount of phosphates on Syrian soil adds up to merely three billion tonnes. In addition, under agreements Syria signed with Russian and Serbian companies, Syria is obligated to provide them with millions of tonnes of phosphates per year. The only deal signed between Iran and Syria in June 2018 concerning Iranian investments in the phosphate mines in Syria, is yet to be realized. Following the criticism, Qasemi corrected himself. In a tweet on his Twitter account (April 10), the former minister of oil clarified that in accordance with the strategic agreement between Tehran and Damascus, Syria is supposed to provide over a billion (one thousand million) tonnes of phosphates to Iran, and not the number he erroneously mentioned during the interview (one thousand billion).
- Iranian news websites reported that the wife of the Syrian president, Asmaa’ al-Assad, moved against Iranian economic interests in the country. According to this report, whose reliability is unclear, the wife of the Syrian president issued an order to dissolve a number of private companies and stop their activity in Syria, and asked to carry out financial and legal audits of these companies, which are linked to Iranian investors. The first lady justified the instruction by mentioning international sanctions placed on these companies. According to the report, the companies whose work was halted are Bunyan Dimashq, al-Bunyan, Ermitaj al-Omran and Qala’I, which are all connected to the Iranian embassy in Damascus. The report also claimed that the steps taken by Asmaa’ al-Assad were carried out in coordination with the Russian embassy in Damascus and are intended to decrease Iran’s clout in Syria’s economy (Aftab News, April 10).
- The pro-opposition Syrian news outlet Deir Ezzor 24 reported (April 13) that the IRGC is working to recruit local Syrians who defected from the ranks of the Syrian opposition and regularized their status (“reconciled”) with the Syrian regime. According to this report, whose reliability is unclear, the recruitment office is located at the old building of the educational directorate in Deir Ezzor. The new recruits obtain greater benefits than they would receive had they gone to serve in the Syrian Army: their service for the IRGC will be recognized as part of the duration of their compulsory military service, they will operate only in the environs of Deir Ezzor, they will serve only 15 days every month, they will obtain a monthly salary of 90,000 Syrian liras, and food baskets.
Iranian Involvement in Iraq
- The Iranian television channel in Arabic, al-Alam, reported (April 6) that the Commander of the Qods Force, Esmail Qa’ani, conducted a visit to Iraq, on April 5-6, during which he met with senior Iraqi officials, and leaders of political parties and blocs, and discussed expanding bilateral ties between Iran and Iraq and other regional issues. No additional details were provided concerning the visit and the issues under discussion.
- The website al-Araby al-Jadeed reported (April 7) based on a political source that Qa’ani’s meetings in Baghdad were largely focused on the strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States held last week. According to the source, Qa’ani stressed that the demand for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq must be the central issue under discussion in the dialogue. Meanwhile, the AP news agency reported (April 7) citing two senior Iraqi sources, that against the backdrop of Qa’ani’s visit in Baghdad, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kazimi, conveyed a stern message to Iran, demanding that it restrain the pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. According to this report, al-Kazimi also threatened to use force against the armed groups, and clearly identify their foreign sponsor if their attacks on American targets in Iraq persist.
- On April 12, the Iraqi National Security Adviser, Qassim al-Araji, arrived for a visit in Tehran, at the invitation of the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Ali Shamkhani. During his visit, al-Araji met with Shamkhani and the two discussed bilateral relations and regional and international developments. During the meeting, Shamkhani declared that the United States is the central cause for instability and organized terrorism in the region, and that accelerating the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq will increase the region’s stability. He expressed concern about the reinvigoration of elements connected to ISIS in Iraq, and blamed the United States of supporting those elements, in an effort to prepare the ground for maintaining U.S. military presence in the country. Shamkhani also called for bolstering coordination between Tehran and Baghdad against the activities of “anti-revolutionary and terrorist elements” in northern Iraq, and for greater cooperation in the struggle to fight networks smuggling weaponry and drugs across borders.
- The Iraqi national security adviser praised Iran’s role in establishing stability and security in the region, as well as its involvement in the fight against terrorism, and stressed the need to bolster cooperation between the two countries. He remarked that the Iraqi government is committed to implementing the law passed by the Iraqi parliament concerning the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq. He added that there are ongoing talks between Iraq and the countries maintaining a military presence in the country, concerning setting an agreed-upon timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops (Tasnim, April 12). During his visit in Tehran, the Iraqi national security adviser also met with the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Javad Zarif, and with the Minister of Defense, Amir Hatami (Fars, April 12). Hatami conveyed to al-Ariji that the withdrawal of American forces will help bolster the stability and security in Iraq and called for expanding security cooperation between Iran and Iraq (Mehr, April 13).
- On April 14, the Iranian President, Hasan Rouhani, spoke on the phone with the Iraqi President, Barham Salih, and congratulated him on the occasion of the start of the holy month of Ramadan. Rouhani stressed Iran’s support for the stability, security, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq, and declared that Iran sees Iraq’s security as its own and opposes any foreign meddling in Iraq’s domestic affairs. He remarked that the security of the region ought to be safeguarded by the countries of the region. Rouhani added that the Americans have always played a destructive role in the region, and that their presence did not contribute to bringing about peace and stability. The Iranian president also called for implementing the economic agreements signed between Iraq and Iran, including completing laying the railway connecting Shalamcheh in western Iran to Basra ins southern Iraq. The Iraqi president describe the relations between the two countries as “strategic” and stressed the need to bolster them in all fields, and particularly in the economic and commercial spheres. He remarked that the Iraqi government is determined to implement the decision to end foreign presence in the country, and that it will continue to hold sessions of the strategic dialogue with the United States on this matter, until the final result is achieved (Khabar Online, April 14).
- On April 10, the Iranian Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare, Mohammad Shariatmadari, arrived for a three-day visit in Iraq. On the eve of his visit, the Iranian Ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, stated that the minister is expected to sign a five-year bilateral cooperation agreement and discuss various issues, including exchanges of delegations and experts, vocational training, entrepreneurship, labor relations and social matters. During his visit in Baghdad, Shariatmadari met with the Iraqi Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Adel al-Rikabi, and with the Minister of Finance, Ali Alawi. The Iraqi minister of finance vowed to Shariatmadari that Iraq’s debts to Iran for the supply of electricity and gas will be paid soon. During his visit in Iraq, the minister also visited southern Iraq, including the city of Karbala, considered holy by Shia Muslims (IRNA, April 10-11).
- On April 7, Hojjat-ul-Islam Hamid Shahriari, the General Secretary of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought, arrived for a visit in Iraq, during which he met with local senior officials, clerics and politicians. The World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought (Majma’-e Jahani-ye Taqrib-e Mazaheb-e Eslami) operates out of the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran, and holds intra-Islamic conferences and activities intended to promote dialogue between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
- During a meeting with the senior Shia cleric Ayatollah Sheikh Mehdi Karbalaei, Shahriari called for dialogue between Sunni and Shia clerics to promote Islamic unity in the face of the efforts of colonialism to bring about a split between the nations of Islam. In a meeting with the senior Shia cleric, Ayatollah Seyyed Muhammad Taqi Modarresi, Shahriari addressed the central role of senior Shia clerics in strengthening Iraqi national unity, and stressing the independence and sovereignty of Iraq, while confronting the efforts of terrorists, cells affiliated with remnants of Saddam Hussein’s regime and their supporters to launch a sectarian war in the country. During the visit, the secretary general of the World Forum for Proximity of Islamic Schools of Thought also met with tribal leaders and senior officials in the Shia-majority city of Karbala and stressed the need to maintain Iraq’s unity. He claimed that the United States and Zionism tried to partition Iraq through infiltration and creating fissures between the different communities in the country, by the Iraqi people foiled their efforts, owing to its unity. He stressed that after the eradication of ISIS, the Iraqi people, more than ever, need to ensure unity to preserve the security and stability of their country (IRNA, April 9).
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