Two IRGC Members Killed in Eastern Syria

Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
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Two IRGC Members Killed in Eastern Syria

Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)
Syrian troops and pro-government gunmen standing next to a sign in Arabic which reads “Deir Ezzor welcomes you” in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor, Syria. (SANA via AP)

An unidentified drone attacked on Sunday an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) vehicle while it was leaving a pre-fabricated building on the outskirts of al-Mayadeen city, in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, sources told the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The attack resulted in the destruction of the vehicle and the death of two IRGC members who were on board.

On Friday, the SOHR documented human and material losses due to new Israeli strikes on Syrian territory.

Israeli missiles flying over Lebanese territory destroyed Iranian militias-affiliated warehouses and manufacturing centers for short and medium-range missiles in the scientific research area (the Defense Factories), which is part of al-Zawiya in Masyaf countryside.

Centers and sites were targeted in al-Talay camp in Sheikh Ghadban area in Masyaf countryside as well.

The strikes left six non-Syrian people dead. It is not yet known whether they were IRGC members or pro-Iranian militiamen.

The death toll is expected to rise as some of the injured are in serious condition, amid reports of further casualties.

Masyaf area hosts a center for developing medium-range missiles in al-Zawi village and al-Talay camp.



US Imposes Sanctions on Iran and Houthi-related Targets

Houthi fighters take part in a parade during a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi fighters take part in a parade during a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
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US Imposes Sanctions on Iran and Houthi-related Targets

Houthi fighters take part in a parade during a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB
Houthi fighters take part in a parade during a mobilization campaign, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 December 2024. EPA/YAHYA ARHAB

The United States on Thursday imposed sanctions on Iran and Houthi-related entities, according to the Treasury Department website which listed a number of individuals, companies and vessels that had been targeted.

The sanctions target three vessels involved in the trade of Iranian petroleum and petrochemicals, which generate billions of dollars for Iran's leaders, the Treasury said, supporting its nuclear program, development of ballistic missiles and financing of proxies including Lebanon’s Hezbollah, Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the Houthis in Yemen.

“The United States is committed to targeting Iran’s key revenue streams that fund its destabilizing activities,” Bradley Smith, acting under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in a release. Smith said Iran relies on a shadowy network of vessels, companies, and facilitators for those activities.

The vessels targeted were the Djibouti-flagged crude oil tanker MS ENOLA, owned by Journey Investment company, the San Marino-flagged MS ANGIA, and the Panama-flagged MS MELENIA. The last two tankers are managed and operated by Liberia- and Greece-registered Rose Shipping Limited, Treasury said.

The Treasury also sanctioned a dozen individuals, including the head of the Houthi-aligned Central Bank of Yemen branch in Sanaa, for their roles in trafficking arms, laundering money, and shipping illicit Iranian petroleum for the benefit of the Houthi militias.

It said that among the persons designated are key smuggling operatives, arms traffickers, and shipping and financial facilitators who have enabled the Houthis to acquire and transport an array of dual-use and weapons components, as well as generate revenue to support their destabilizing regional activities.

The sanctions block all property and interests in the United States of the designated parties and US persons and entities dealing with them could be exposed to sanctions or enforcement actions including fines.