Russia Was Bombing Empty Deserts, Not Syrian Rebels, Says Iranian Commander

A senior Iranian general has accused Russia of deceiving Tehran, claiming that while Moscow said its jets were targeting Syrian rebels, they were actually bombing empty desert areas.

This was revealed in an audio recording of the Iranian Brigadier General Behrouz Esbati's speech published on January 7 by Abdullah Abdi, a journalist in Geneva who reports on Iran.

"We were defeated, and defeated very badly. We took a very big blow, and it's been very difficult," Esbati said commenting on the fall of Assad's regime.

In the recording, Esbati revealed that Russia had informed Tehran it was targeting the headquarters of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the rebel group leading efforts to overthrow Assad. However, Esbati stated that Moscow's forces were actually "targeting empty deserts."

Esbati also accused Russia of disabling its radars during Israeli strikes on Syria in 2024, enabling Tel Aviv's forces to carry out their attacks more effectively.

On December 8, the Syrian opposition forces declared the overthrow of al-Assad after seizing control of Damascus, bringing an end to more than five decades of authoritarian dynastic rule.