Russia, Iran Team Up Inside Syria

Senior Iranian and Russian officials have held a series of conversations in Moscow in recent months to discuss ways in which to protect Bashar al-Assad’s regime, according to U.S. and Middle Eastern officials. Major General Qassem Suleimani, who oversees Iran’s Quds Force, came to Moscow in a secret visit in July to discuss the arrangements. Russian fighters, including air forces, have been gathering in the Assad regime’s coastal stronghold; Iranian commanders from the Revolutionary Guard and Hezbollah have been staying in Syrian hotels. It even appears that the Russians and Hezbollah have established a joint-operations command.