Feud out in the open as blame game begins: Top Iranian general says Russia was bombing the empty desert instead of attacking Syrian rebels

A top Iranian general Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati has publicly criticized the nation Russia for allegedly misleading Tehran regarding the military operations in Syria.

In a pretty recent speech at a mosque in Tehran, Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati claimed that Russia assured Iran that its jets were targeting Syrian rebel positions but were actually bombing open desert areas instead. This stark accusation eventually marks a rare deviation from Iran's typically supportive diplomatic stance towards Russia.

Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati lamented the significant losses Iran faced due to the fall of the government of Bashar al- Assad while stating that ‘We were defeated, and defeated very badly’. At the same time, he also attributed the part of this failure to internal corruption within the leadership of Syria while indicating that bribery was rampant among high-ranking officials.


Adding onto that, the general also accused Russia of complicity in the military actions of Israel against Syria by allegedly disabling radar systems during the Israeli strikes.

The fallout from Bashar al- Assad's regime collapse has strained relations between Iran and Syria specifically after Bashar al- Assad declined Iranian requests for facilitating attacks on Israel. The recent remarks of Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati actually reflect a growing frustration within Iran regarding its role in Syria and the perceived inadequacies of its ally, Russia.

FAQs:

Which Iranian general has recently criticized Russia and why?

A top Iranian general Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati has publicly criticized the nation Russia for allegedly misleading Tehran regarding the military operations in Syria.

What was stated by Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati while lamenting the losses which Iran had to face following the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad?

Brig. Gen. Behrouz Esbati lamented the significant losses Iran faced due to the fall of the government of Bashar al- Assad while stating that ‘We were defeated, and defeated very badly’.