Iran, Israel and the United States are remarkably close in their published figures on the number of Pasdaran who have been killed fighting in Syria—perhaps the first time they have all come out with similar numbers.
The numbers are similar—not identical. And Iran’s figure is the lowest of the trio.
Iran says “fewer than 50” Pasdaran have been killed in Syria.
The United States says “about 50.”
And an Israeli now says “55-plus.”
Speaking to Reuters, a senior Israeli military officer last week cited Israeli intelligence findings that “55-plus” Iranian personnel have been killed in clashes with Syrian rebels, in addition to a Hezbollah death toll he put at between 1,000 and 2,000. (Hezbollah has not published a figure for its losses.)
An American official this month said the Iranian death toll was “about 50.”
The number of Iranians killed in Syria is “less than 50,” Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, said November 11 in a television interview.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center said in a report that 53 Iranians, including enlisted men and officers, had been killed in Syria as of November 15.
That think-tank, which is located next to the headquarters of Israel’s main foreign spy services and draws staff from there, said the Iranian public appeared to be increasingly questioning the wisdom of its government’s actions in Syria.
“There are even demands to investigate the rising losses, suggesting the Iranian public regards with great skepticism the official Iranian claim that the Iranian presence in Syria is made up solely of ‘advisers’ and that Iranian forces are not actively involved in ground combat,” its 54-page report said.
A regional security source, who declined to be identified by name or nationality, said the Iranian force deployed in Syria was made up of 1,800 personnel at its peak, but that number had since been reduced to 1,300. US Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a few weeks ago that Iran had “something less than 2,000” troops in Syria.
That same source told Reuters President Rohani had called for the current deployment to be halved, but was facing opposition from hardliners in the Pasdaran.
