August 19, 2016
An Iranian official has indicated that about 200 Iranian fighters have been killed battling in Syria to save the government of President Bashar Al-Assad.
Mohammad-Ali Shahidi, the head of the Martyrs’ Foundation, released the number Saturday.
The government has said that the families of anyone killed fighting in Syria under Iranian command—whether an Iranian national or a foreigner—would receive financial aid from the Martyrs’ Foundation.
Shahidi said about 400 families have been referred to him. He said about half the dead were Afghan.
Iran has been recruiting foreign fighters—Pakistanis, Iraqis and others, but mainly poor Afghans who are refugees and are enticed into uniform with promises of Iranian citizenship.
The Islamic Republic is often very loose with its use of numbers. There is one reason to believe that 200 might be an accurate number for the scale of Iranian deaths in Syria.
The only previous death toll was announced last November. In that month, Iran, Israel and the United States all said about 50 Iranians had been killed in fighting in Syria, suggesting Iran was not fudging the figure.
The numbers were similar—not identical.
Iran said “fewer than 50” Pasdaran had been killed in Syria.
The United States said “about 50.”
And an Israeli said “55-plus.”
Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, gave the “fewer than 50” figure in a November 11 television interview.
Ten months have passed since then with 150 additional Iranian dead, which would mean about one Iranian death every other day.