Despite claims by Israeli sources that Russia is acting to distance Iran from the Israeli-Syrian border, the recent Syrian army campaign in the area of Daraa, near the border, saw cooperation between the Russians army, Syrian forces, Hezbollah, and pro-Iranian militias.
Israeli military sources confirmed the information.
The regime’s assault, which began in mid-June, was directed at defeating rebel forces controlling the area. The Russians provided an aerial umbrella for the land forces acting on behalf of
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneckal-Assad
Scourge of Qusayr...
, which included pro-Iranian militias and the Leb-based Hezbollah.
According to claims by the Syrian opposition, the operation included face-to-face meetings between representatives of the Russian army and commanders of pro-Iranian Shiite militias, which were held in areas just 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) from the Israeli border.
On the eve of the regime’s assault, there were reports that Israel had reiterated its longstanding demand that pro-Iranian militias, as well as Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah and members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, be withdrawn to at least 40-80 kilometers (25-50 miles) from the border.
According to some reports, Israel is demanding a complete withdrawal of Iranian forces from the country, though Russia has said that is unlikely to happen.
The Kremlin said the issue of the Iranian presence in Syria would feature high on the agenda of Monday’s meeting in Helsinki between Russian President Vladimir Putin
...President-for-Life of Russia. He gets along well with other presidents for life. He is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substance. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to him. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead from poisoning by polonium or other interesting substances...and US President Donald Trump
...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States...
According to the Syrian American Council, an opposition-supporting lobby group in the US, Iraqi Shiite militia forces who operate under the auspices of Iran were seen in the city of Da’el, located just 30 kilometers from the Israeli border.
In a photograph obtained by the lobby group and shared with The Times of Israel on Monday, an unidentified Russian general is seen meeting with "Abu Ajeeb, commander of the Liwa Abu Fadel al-Abbas," a militia set up in 2013 that acts under the auspices of the Revolutionary Guards.
According to the Free Syrian Army
... the more palatable version of the Syrian insurgency, heavily influenced by the Moslem Brüderbund...
, the photograph shows a July 4 meeting in a schoolyard in Da’el. The authenticity of the photo and its location could not be confirmed, but given the cooperation and coordination between Russia and forces loyal to the regime in Daraa, it is not unlikely.