Iran began to evacuate its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Friday, according to regional officials and three Iranian officials, in a sign of Iran¡¯s inability to help keep President Bashar Assad in power as he faces a resurgent rebel offensive.
Among those evacuated to neighboring Iraq and Lebanon were top commanders of Iran¡¯s powerful Quds Force, the external branch of the Revolutionary Guard, the officials said.
The move signaled a remarkable turn for Assad, whose government Iran has backed throughout Syria¡¯s 13-year civil war, and for Iran, which has used Syria as a key route to supply weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.