Iran Issues Warning About US Bases in Syria

NEWSWEEK -Jan2nd2025

ranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a warning regarding U.S. military bases in Syria in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday during a speech at a ceremony honoring a fallen commander.

“Today, the US is continuously building bases in Syria,” Khamenei wrote. “These bases will undoubtedly be trampled under the feet of the Syrian youth.” Khamenei reiterated the message to the U.S. at a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of former Revolutionary Guards Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani by the U.S.

Newsweek reached out to the Iranian Mission to the United Nations and the Pentagon for comment via email.

Why It Matters

Khamenei’s warning regarding U.S. bases in Syria and the overall American presence in the country are significant because they could potentially worsen Iran-U.S. relations prior to President-elect Donald Trump‘s inauguration, and relations between the countries during his first term were already contentious.

What To Know

In a series of posts on X, Khamenei criticized the U.S. presence in Syria after rebels ousted the country’s former president, Bashar al-Assad, and his regime in early December.

Khamenei’s mention of U.S. bases being “trampled by Syrian youth” comes after his statements encouraging Syria’s youth to push back against Assad’s successors and reclaim the country on December 11 and 23, according to Iran International.

Advocating against countries removing their forces “from the scene,” Khamenei said that if they do, they will “become like Syria” and then “it leads to the occupation of territory by foreigners.” He added that the “ultimate victory belongs to truth front” and that “those who are running wild today will one day be trampled under the feet of the believers,” according to the Iran’s state news outlet, the Islamic Republic News Agency.

U.S. bases in Syria expanded prior to the fall of Assad’s regime, as the presence of American troops in Damascus doubled, to 2,000, according to Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder. When American troops first entered Syria in 2015 to fight the Islamic State group, there were 900 troops.

During the ceremony honoring Soleimani, Khamenei largely spoke about Iran’s involvement in Syria’s civil war and the nation’s power in the region. Alluding to rumors of Iran’s diminishing influence in the region, he said: “Some people, due to a lack of proper analysis and understanding, claim that with the recent events in the region, the blood shed in defense of the shrine was wasted. They are making this grave mistake; the blood was not wasted.”

Khamenei’s mention of the “defense of the shrine” is in reference to the reason behind Iran’s presence in Syria and Iraq, as Iran has military members and other personnel in these countries to protect Shi’a Islamic holy sites

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