#Iran and its proxies may be preparing for a major effort with #military elements in northern #Syria. Senior officers from the IRGC Quds Force, its Iraqi proxies, the #Assad regime, and possibly Russian forces have participated in a flurry of meetings throughout Syria in recent days. These meetings are noteworthy given their frequency and the seniority of their participants. Local media has framed many but not all of these meetings as ostensibly related to #earthquake relief. That explanation is improbable considering that most participants lead or represent military and paramilitary groups but do not include the officials who would normally be involved in delivering humanitarian assistance and because of reports that Iran is moving fighters and weapons in ostensibly humanitarian convoys.
- February 8: IRGC Quds Force Commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani and senior IRGC officer Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi traveled to Aleppo, Syria.
- February 9: The commander of Russian forces in Syria, Colonel General Andrey Serdyukov, traveled to Aleppo and may have met with Ghaani and other Iranian officers.
- February 10: Syrian President Bashar al Assad traveled to Aleppo and met with Iraqi proxy leader Abu Fadak al Mohammedawi. Mohammedawi is currently the chief of staff of the Popular Mobilization Forces and was previously the secretary general of Iraqi proxy Kataib Hezbollah.
- February 12: Ghaani met with Latakia Provincial Governor Amer Ismail Hilal. Officials from Lebanese Hezbollah may have accompanied Ghaani.
- February 13: Ghaani and Mohammedawi met with Assad at the Aleppo International Airport.
- February 16: Assad met with chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Falih al Fayyadh in Damascus.
These meetings notably did not include representatives of the Syrian or Iranian foreign ministries or of the organizations normally responsible for emergency responses, healthcare, finances, or economic activities.
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-16-2023