Iran will send 4,000 Revolutionary Guard troops to Syria to fight alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces, The Independent reported on Sunday.
The decision to send soldiers to Syria was taken last week prior to Friday’s Iranian presidential election which saw cleric Hassan Rohani defeat a number of more conservative candidates.
The Independent quoted pro-Iranian sources as saying that Iran has proposed to open up a front against Israel on the Golan Heights as part of efforts to preserve Assad’s regime in Syria.
The report comes after the US announced on Thursday that it will begin to arm the Syrian opposition in the face of evidence that Assad used chemical weapons against rebels on multiple occasions.