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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)
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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.

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Shamakhani Recounts How He Survived Assassination Attempt: I Was Trapped 3 Hours Under Rubble

Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, speaks on Iranian television Sunday 
Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, speaks on Iranian television Sunday 
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Shamakhani Recounts How He Survived Assassination Attempt: I Was Trapped 3 Hours Under Rubble

Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, speaks on Iranian television Sunday 
Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, speaks on Iranian television Sunday 

Ali Shamkhani, a high-ranking adviser to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, recounted on Iranian television Sunday how he survived an Israeli strike that targeted his residence on the first day of the war between Iran and Israel, stating that he was trapped under the rubble for three hours before being rescued.

“I was mainly injured internally; my ribs were broken,” the official said on Iranian state television.

“At first, I thought it was an earthquake. I was trapped under the rubble for three hours,” he said during the interview, where he was seen using a special inhalation device to help rehabilitate his lungs — a lasting result of his injuries.

“I was lying in bed. My phone was on the floor, a bit away from me. My family was asleep in the next room. I was dozing off, about to wake up for morning prayer, when suddenly the entire room collapsed on top of me,” he said.

Shamkhani also recalled the moments he survived under the rubble. “My room had collapsed two or three stories downward. I began clearing the rubble from my legs,” he said.

The Iranian general said his wife and son were also injured during the attack, adding that he was unable to speak clearly at the time due to oxygen pressure.

Shamkhani declined to say why he was targeted but said, “Israel knows why it attacked me—and so do I. But I can’t say.”

Shamkhani previously served as Iran’s navy commander, defense minister and secretary of the Supreme National Security Council.

He said there is no house or office left for him to stay or work and that the interview was conducted at a café.

The interview came hours after Shamkhani made his first public appearance Saturday at the funerals of Iranian nuclear scientists and military commanders killed in the war with Israel.

At the funeral, Shamakhani was shown in a civilian suit leaning on a cane and surrounded by his bodyguards and members of his family, according to an image distributed on state television's Telegram channel.

Initial reports following the Israeli attacks on Iran claimed Shamkhani had been killed, while others said he was seriously wounded. Last week, the Iranian general confirmed he had survived.

“I’ve almost died three times—once before the Revolution, once during the Iran-Iraq War, and now this time,” Shamkhani said.

The Iranian official said, “All our commanders—our minds and muscle—had been targeted, yet within 12 hours, they were replaced, and the operation began. It wasn’t improvised. It was pre-planned.”

Shamkhani then emphasized the need for constant vigilance and readiness to counter enemy threats, while urging further advancement of the nation’s military capabilities.

He stressed that Iran’s leadership has been fully prepared for any scenario, noting that all operations were carried out according to pre-established plans.

This preparedness reflected the country’s robust military and security posture against any form of escalation or infiltration, he said.

Last week, Shamkhani, said in a post on X that “even if nuclear sites are destroyed, game isn't over, enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, political will remain.”

He added, “With legitimate defense right, political and operational initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!”