The commander of Islamic Revolution Guards Corps said Iran does not seek to send combat forces to fight against terrorists in Syria.
Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari made the statement on Saturday at the funeral of a high-ranking military advisor of IRGC and five Iranian volunteer forces who were recently martyred in Syria while engaged in the fight against foreign-backed terrorists, Fars News Agency reported.
"It is not our policy to send a large number of forces from Iran to fight in Syria, but there are many guards wishing to go there," he said.
Brigadier General Mohsen Qajarian, commander of the Imam Reza (PBUH) Armored Brigade 1 of IRGC, was recently martyred in an attack by the self-styled Islamic State terrorists while on duty in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo that witnessed heavy fighting of late.
Jafari said the Syrian conflict cannot be described as an internal issue and the presence of Iranian advisors in the fight against Takfiri terrorists has rational reasons.
"Defending Syria is defending the Islamic resistance [front against Israel] and it would also prevent [terrorist] threats from coming to our borders," he said.
A Takfiri accuses followers of other faiths and some Islamic sects of being unbelievers.
The major general said "enemies" have devised plots to stop the growth of resistance front, but despite considerable efforts, it is making progress.
Jafari also said that although threats against Iran have reduced, they have entered a new phase.
"[The failure of Israel in its] wars in Lebanon and Palestine have proven that even armed-to-the-teeth armies cannot defeat the Islamic resistance," he said.
Jafari said these failures have led them to a conclusion that they cannot "directly" stand against the front and this is why they are supporting extremist groups fighting against the Syrian government.
"Enemies have a fixed goal and it is to stop the development of the resistance front," he said. "As the Islamic Revolution [of Iran] is going forward, defending it would become more complicated."
Iran says its military advisors are present in friendly regional states to make recommendations, while many volunteers, widely known as "defenders of the shrine", are fighting against extremists and defending the shrine of Sayyeda Zeinab, one of the distinguished daughters of Imam Ali [PBUH].
