Syrian government forces continued their aerial attacks against the besieged commercial center of Aleppo Thursday, driving many rebels from the southernmost district of the city in a fierce assault.
The government offensive comes as Syrian ally Iran hosted nearly 30 international envoys in Tehran to discuss ways to end the conflict. The conference was dismissed by the West as a large-number of Arab and Western powers were no-shows or not invited.
Heavy fighting was reported along the front lines of the southern perimeter of Aleppo in an area known as the Salaheddin district. Government forces shelled neighborhoods and bombed targets from the air in a concerted push to drive rebel fighters out.
Correspondents inside Aleppo say government forces captured chunks of territory, including parts of Salaheddin. Many rebel fighters reportedly pulled back to the Sakkour region farther north. State television claimed government forces retook several neighborhoods.
Al Jazeera TV reported that the government push was being aided by newer T-82 tanks, which are less vulnerable to attack from standard rocket-propelled grenades. Several rebel commanders also complained that they were running low on weapons and munitions.
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Scott Lucas, a professor of international policy at the University of Birmingham in Britain, said that Iranian leaders are trying to decide what to do, now that longtime Syrian ally, President Bashar al-Assad, is in trouble.
"The Iranians are scrambling right now," he said. "They're on the defensive, and that's because over the last few weeks it's become pretty clear to them that Assad is in a very tenuous position and that he may not survive. And so if that's the case, they've got to start thinking about a plan B."
Lucas, who and edits the blog 'EA Worldview,' said Iran could be trying to "portray its conference as a counter-weight to the (much larger) Friends of Syria group" formed by the U.S. and the West.
Lucas added that Tehran may have felt obliged to hold the meeting because Saudi Arabia will host an Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting next week to talk about Syria.