Exclusive—Syria War Escalates as Iran-Backed Iraq Militias Vow Intervention

A powerful Iraqi faction aligned with the Iran-led Axis of Resistance has vowed to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces as they struggle in the face of a large-scale surprise offensive launched by insurgents that have already seized parts of the country’s second largest city.

The rebel operation, being referred to variously as “Deterrence of Aggression” and “Dawn of Freedom,” was first launched Wednesday by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, and other opposition factions, including the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army group. By Friday, rebels had entered the key city of Aleppo and appeared to be extending their attacks south toward the city of Hama.

The developments mark the largest shifts of territorial control in Syria’s ongoing civil war in years. The events also come amid another regional war being fought between Israel and the Iran-led Axis of Resistance since the Palestinian Hamas movement launched a surprise attack against Israel last October.

As clashes continue to erupt in Syria just days after a ceasefire was reached between the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, the Nujaba Movement, an Iraqi militia with experience conducting operations during Syria’s civil war and the ongoing battle against Israel, has expressed its willingness to mobilize in support of Assad.

“Our position was and still is unified in the unity of the arenas and the Axis of Resistance in standing against any attack that could be directed at the region,” Nujaba Movement spokesperson Hussein al-Musawi told Newsweek.

He portrayed the sudden insurgent offensive as serving the interests of the United States and Israel to further divide the Iran-aligned coalition.

“We were and still are fully aware that the Zionist and American plan and those with them will always seek to destabilize the region under various flimsy pretexts and excuses,” Musawi said.

He added: “We also realize that the movement of the armed terrorist groups, which are a creation of America and according to the White House’s own confessions, are moving according to American will and wanted to open this front to relieve pressure on Israel and distract the international community with more tensions and cover up the failure and great loss suffered by Israel and those with it and distract the Axis of Resistance by opening new fronts.”

In Iraq, the Axis of Resistance is represented by umbrella of militias operating under the collective banner of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. A number of these groups now launching rockets and drones against Israel and U.S. troops in Iraq and neighboring Syria previously fought insurgents, including the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Now, Musawi said that “we will not allow these groups to appear again and threaten the security and stability of Iraq.”

He continued: “We will be the best supporter and helper of the brotherly Syrian people against these criminal gangs that want to tamper with the security and stability of the peoples.”

Newsweek has reached out to Hezbollah, the Iranian and Syrian Permanent Missions to the United Nations, the Iraqi government, the IDF, the Russian Embassy to the U.S., the Syrian Democratic Forces, U.S. Central Command and the U.S. State Department for comment.

As Syrian insurgents stormed Aleppo on Friday, the IDF said it had “conducted an intelligence-based strike on military infrastructure sites adjacent to border crossings between Syria and Lebanon that were actively used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons from Syria into Lebanon.”

There was no immediate mention of any connection to the developments in northern Syria.

Officials in Washington have also been largely silent on the rebel offensive, which coincided with the Thanksgiving holiday break in the U.S.

Iranian, Russian and Turkish officials have been engaged in a flurry of high-level diplomacy amid the rebel advances as Russian warplanes conducted airstrikes against insurgent positions. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was set to visit Damascus on Sunday, according to his ministry.

Assad was in Moscow at the time of the offensive but has reportedly returned to Damascus. He held phone conversations with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday.

Also involved in the fray is the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led group that controls the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria spanning nearly a third of the country. The SDF has alternatively clashed with the Syrian military and its allies and cooperated with them, with both sides viewing jihadi groups such as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and Turkey-backed factions such as the Syrian National Army as mutual foes.

In a statement issued Friday, SDF spokesperson Farhad Shami accused Turkey of orchestrating the rebel offensive and signaled a willingness to intervene if necessary.

“The plan of the attack on northwestern Syria has been devised by the Turkish occupation which intends to execute its schemes with the collaboration of the Al-Nusra Front,” Shami said. “This attack is managed step by step by Turkey and to fully comprehend this process, it is crucial to see Turkey’s role.”

He added: “The developments in northwestern Syria are sensitive, and we directly care about them and closely monitor them. Whatever happens, our national and moral priority remains the defense of our people and our regions. Therefore, we will intervene as necessary to defend our people.

This is a developing news story. More information will be added as it becomes available.