NCRI – The Iranian regime is spending billions of dollars supplying arms and troops to the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, the German daily Spiegel has reported.
The regime has spent at least 9 billion dollars since 2011 on support for Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, making it more deeply involved in the wars in Iraq and Syria than any other country, the paper said.
Tehran’s ruling mullahs have sent arms and ammunition, surveillance drones, military advisors and armed militia, and is also is training for fighters, it said.
But Syrian opposition groups put the figure the Iranian regime has spent in Syria at around 15 billion dollars, it was reported.
At least five Revolutionary Guards generals are known to have been killed in Iraq and Syri, and the number of militia and lower rank military personal who have been dispatched from Iran and killed is estimated to be around 120, Spiegel said, adding that many Iranians are now asking why they should pay for Syria when they lack money themselves.
It also quoted experts who said Iran would continue its costly involvement in the conflicts as they have the ‘highest foreign policy priority for Iran’.
Iran does not share a border with Syria but the regime is involved in that country hope of extending its influence in the region, one expert said, telling Spiegel: “Tehran is more likely to raise taxes and cut subsidies rather than scale back in Iraq or abandon Syria.”