Iranian Proxy Militia Opens New Recruitment Center in Aleppo, Syria

The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
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Iranian Proxy Militia Opens New Recruitment Center in Aleppo, Syria

The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)
The head of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba visits areas near Aleppo in 2018 (Tasnim)

Syrian opposition media outlets are reporting that the Iranian proxy militia, Kataib al-Imam Ali, has opened a new recruitment center at the heart of the regime-run northern city of Aleppo.

Establishing the drafting center took place with consent from the Syrian regime, said local sources.

Javad al-Ghaffari, a prominent Iranian leader who is based in Aleppo, had met with officials at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Damascus to discuss and approve the operation.

All those willing to join the militia, including army defectors and dodgers of compulsory military service, will be accepted, sources predicted. Regime forces will drop their pursuit of anyone drafted into the Iranian militia, even if they are ex-soldiers wanted for decamping or citizens accused of draft evasion.

For Syrian youth living under dire security and economic circumstances, the offer is very tempting.

Syria's opposition Eye of Euphrates news network published a report revealing the details of the terms and conditions involving registration in Kataib al-Imam Ali.

According to the report, enrolled fighters will receive a monthly salary of $200 if they were married, and $150 if they were single.

They will be deployed to outposts near their home addresses and have to log in 20 days of service each month.

Iran has sought strengthening the presence of its proxies in Syria against the backdrop of a Russian orientation to downsize the role played by Iran-backed militias in war-torn country.

It is worth noting that Iran has trained about 70,000 fighters that formed 128 regiments in Syria.

Russia, after intervening in Syria in 2015, sought to weaken Iran-aligned guerrillas by reinforcing regime forces and forming army divisions for local volunteers.

Iran, however, pushed forward with its recruitment agenda in Syria, forming militias that included foreign mercenaries, members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and fighters from the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militia.



US Working to Evacuate Citizens from Israel, Ambassador Says

A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 16, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Working to Evacuate Citizens from Israel, Ambassador Says

A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 16, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone photo shows the damage over residential homes at the impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, Israel June 16, 2025. (Reuters)

The United States is working to evacuate US citizens wishing to leave Israel by arranging flights and cruise ship departures, US ambassador Mike Huckabee said in a post on X on Wednesday, as fears mount of further military escalation between Iran and Israel. 

The US embassy in Jerusalem was working on the evacuation arrangements, Huckabee said, urging Americans in the country to sign up for updates through the State Department's Smart Traveler program. 

"Urgent notice! American citizens wanting to leave Israel- US Embassy in Israel @usembassyjlm is working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures. You must enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)," Huckabee wrote. 

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was unclear how many Americans were seeking to depart Israel or whether the US military would assist with the evacuation flights.  

US President Donald Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the five-day-old war between Iran and Israel to suggesting the United States might join it. 

Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, of which 40 have pierced air defenses, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.