Iran Secures Control over Water Smuggling Routes in Eastern Syria


Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces during the graduation of a military batch in the Al-Omar oil field (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces during the graduation of a military batch in the Al-Omar oil field (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Iran Secures Control over Water Smuggling Routes in Eastern Syria


Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces during the graduation of a military batch in the Al-Omar oil field (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Members of the Syrian Democratic Forces during the graduation of a military batch in the Al-Omar oil field (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has taken control over all waterways separating their area of control in east Syria’s al-Mayadeen region in Deir Ezzor and areas controlled by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, reliable sources told the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The water crossings are usually used as smuggling routes.

“A Revolutionary Guard armed group captured Al-Bareed crossing after expelling the 4th Division’s members stationed there,” the Observatory said.

“The group also expelled National Defense Forces from the crossings of Al-Taybah and Al-Kurnish, bringing them under its control. However, the reasons behind this action have not been known yet,” it added.

National Defense Forces and the 4th Division both back the Syrian regime, which is supposedly an ally to Iran.

In other news, the Observatory reported that eleven people were killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes near Damascus on Monday night.

Syrian air defenses intercepted missiles over the southern region of the country on Monday near Damascus, state television cited a Syrian military source as saying. The source accused Israel of being behind the attacks.

The strikes reportedly killed seven Iranian-backed militants of non-Syrian nationalities and three Syrian soldiers, according to the Observatory.

The state news agency SANA, on the other hand, cited a military source as saying that only two people were killed, and seven were injured.

While Syrian officials accuse Israel of being behind the attack, Tel Aviv has not acknowledged the strike.

Israel, however, has repeatedly attacked Iranian targets in Syria and those of allied militias, including Lebanon’s Hezbollah.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth daily, the strikes targeted a number of Syrian Army positions that were being used by Iranian militias. These positions were located in the northeast of the southern Daraa province, south of the capital Damascus and in al-Kiswa region.



Myanmar Still in Desperate Need After Quake, Thailand Says 

People clean debris from damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake on March 28, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP)
People clean debris from damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake on March 28, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP)
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Myanmar Still in Desperate Need After Quake, Thailand Says 

People clean debris from damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake on March 28, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP)
People clean debris from damaged buildings in the aftermath of an earthquake on March 28, in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP)

Quake-stricken Myanmar is still in desperate need of medical assistance, field hospitals and shelters, Thailand's foreign minister said, stressing the importance of a coordinated regional relief effort and long-term support.

The 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28 was one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, jolting a region that is home to 28 million people, toppling buildings, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter.

The military government said 3,645 people were killed in the quake, with 5,017 injured and another 148 missing. Nearly 49,000 houses and more than 2,100 government buildings were destroyed.

Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa and Malaysian counterpart Mohamad Hasan met with Myanmar officials on Saturday in the quake-hit capital Naypyitaw and saw the scale of the devastation.

"What Myanmar needs is field hospitals," Maris said in an interview late on Tuesday. "Their existing hospitals can't operate to their full capacity due to damage from the quake," he said.

There was also a need for temporary shelters, mosquito nets, food, water filters and clean water supplies, Maris said, with fears rising about communicable diseases among those made homeless, compounded by the intense summer heat.

On Wednesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs thanked the more than 30 search-and-rescue teams from 13 countries that had been deployed to find survivors, some of which were now departing Myanmar.

"Their expertise was crucial in the immediate aftermath - helping locate survivors and support communities in their darkest hours," OCHA said in a Facebook post.

The Chinese search-and-rescue team left Myanmar on Wednesday having completed its mission, state news agency Xinhua reported.

A fifth batch of emergency aid supplies from China arrived on Wednesday weighing 91 tons, it said, including 266 tents and thousands of mosquito nets and tarpaulin sheets.

BIG BLOW

The disaster was a major blow to a country that has been grappling with a wilting economy and a widening civil war triggered by a 2021 military coup, with an estimated 3.5 million people displaced in Myanmar long before the quake struck, according to the United Nations.

The junta and rebel groups have announced unilateral ceasefires to support the quake relief effort, but have accused each other of violating the agreements.

Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing said the government must ensure in the reconstruction effort that buildings can withstand natural disasters.

"It is necessary to take lessons of dreadful losses in past events," he was quoted as saying in Wednesday's state media. "Officials need to supervise the construction of buildings rigorously."

Maris, Thailand's top diplomat, said plans were also being drawn for medium- and long-term assistance for Myanmar, including reconstruction of damaged areas.

Malaysia wanted to coordinate the regional relief effort in Sagaing, he said, with Thailand handling humanitarian efforts in Mandalay. Both areas were near the quake epicenter.

The aim was to improve capacity on the ground to ensure foreign aid into Myanmar from Southeast Asian countries was optimized, he added.

"We told Myanmar that apart from helping the people, the two teams will help manage coordination efforts coming in," Maris said.