Russia, Iran competing for influence in Syria

Living conditions are deteriorating in different parts of Syria as people find it next to impossible to get the basics of the basics for their lives.

This comes at a time foreign powers pulling the strings in Syria are enlisting support from militias to increase their influence in the country.

Iran and Russia are especially doing this, opening the door for intense rivalry among the militias, something that is being manifested in the speeding pace of recruitment by these militias.

To draw in recruits, the militias playing the money card. They use this money to lure Syrian youth to their ranks.

Recruitment

This policy is clear in the Aleppo region and its countryside where militias are actively recruiting local young men and including them in combat units of various stripes.

These same militias are trying to make up for the losses they sustained in the past period.

Aleppo has a concentration of Palestinian recruits who were drawn from the Neirab camp on the outskirts of the city.

The city is also home to the Fourth Corps, which was led and restructured by the Russian army.

Tiger forces

The forces of Colonel Suhail al-Hassan, known as the Tiger, are the main Syrian force that Russia relies on in this area.

Iran relies, meanwhile, on the Fourth Division which is led by Maher al-Assad, a brother of the Syrian president.

Recruitment operations by different militias have increased in the towns of Al-Safira, Maskna, Deir Hafer, and a number of other towns and villages located in eastern Aleppo.

In return, Russian moved ahead with expanding into the eastern countryside of Aleppo, competing with its Shiite allies for influence in those disputed areas.

Overlapping interests

It should be noted that there is an overlap in regional interests between Tehran and Moscow.

This is especially true as the two sides aim to support the Syrian regime and differ on the areas of influence.