Iran is seeking to facilitate deadly attacks in Syria against American troops, according to documents seen by The Washington Post.
Iran and the forces it’s backing are reportedly building stronger, armor-piercing roadside bombs and training forces to use them, specifically with the goal of killing U.S. troops, classified intelligence documents obtained by The Post allegedly confirm. The alleged plot is part of a broader strategy by Iran and Russia to expel American forces from Syria entirely, the outlet reported.
Exclusive: Iran is arming militants in Syria for a new phase of lethal attacks against U.S. troops in the country, while also working with Russia on a broader strategy to drive Americans from the region, intelligence officials and leaked classified documents say.… pic.twitter.com/s91NgjvfqJ
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 1, 2023
Six American service members have been wounded by Iranian-backed militias droning U.S. troops in Syria, and one Defense Department contractor was killed. Similar weapons were used to kill Americans during the U.S. occupation of Iraq by pro-Iranian insurgents.
Iran’s Quds Force directly supervised testing of one of the explosive devices, according to leaked documents seen by The Post. Three of the bombs were apparently seized by Kurdish fighters allied with the U.S. in February.
Other documents reportedly outline a wide-ranging plan from Moscow, Damascus and Tehran to boot the United States out of Syria by inspiring grassroots attacks against American troops. Officials from Russia, Syria and Iran reportedly met in November to set up a central communication hub for the campaign. (RELATED: US Briefly Posted, Then Removed Photos Of Bomb Designed To Obliterate Iranian Nuclear Facilities From The Internet)
A Quds Force official identified as Sadegh Omidzadeh reportedly claimed the explosives were meant to target U.S. Humvee and Cougar armored vehicles in Syria.
Analysts told The Post that Iran’s increasingly close military ties with Russia could be freeing up the regime to take a more aggressive posture in Syria. Iran has most recently been supplying deadly drones to Russia for use in Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin began his invasion of the country in early 2022.