Iran has refused to help Assad fight the rebels

Iran has ordered its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias to stay out of the battle.

The authorities of Iran did not want to support the Syrian dictator Bashar Assad in the battles with the rebels, because they were afraid of the reaction of Israel. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal with reference to anonymous Syrian officials.

Iran accused Assad of "failing to prepare for the rebel offensive." An Iranian plane with the help of Syria had to turn around after take-off because there was a threat of Israeli airstrikes.

WSJ sources say that instead of providing aid, Iran ordered its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated militias to stay out of the fighting. After that, Tehran organized the withdrawal of its soldiers from Syria and agreed to transfer control of the territories to the rebels.

"Both Russia and most of the Syrian regime, including senior political and military figures, have recognized that Assad's entourage is a sinking ship," said Lina Khatib, a Middle East security expert and junior fellow at London's Chatham House Policy Institute.

Iran evacuates military personnel and diplomats from Syria - mass media