Iran: Winning Hearts and Minds in Deir Ezzor

OE Watch Commentary: Deir Ezzor is a tribal Sunni province of Syria located on the Euphrates River, along the border with Iraq. Its
physical and socio-cultural environments resemble those of Iraq’s Anbar Province, and it was an ISIS stronghold for several years. Late last
year, the provincial capital and surrounding areas were retaken by loyalist forces, with Iranian-backed militias leading the charge. Although it
is not a natural social environment for deep-rooted Iranian influence to take hold, some of the Iran-backed militias may be there to stay. The
foundations for Iran’s ability to assert control over this traditionally Sunni area are partially explained in the accompanying passage, published
last November in the Syrian opposition news website alsouria.net.

According to the article, soft-power measures from as early as 1988 have paved the way for Iran’s new foothold in Deir Ezzor. That year,
the article claims, Iranian envoys began enticing poor villagers from the Baqqara (Baggara) tribe to adopt religious practices associated with
Shi’i Iran. Through mechanisms such as the Imam al-Murtaza Foundation, Iran extended its influence by providing these neglected areas with
material assistance and a new ideological edifice, based on Iranian Revolutionary ideals and centered around newly built Shi’i houses of worship
(Husseiniyat). Iran’s close relations with the Assad government also allowed its envoys and allies to provide government functions in some areas,
according to the article.

The loyalist retaking of Deir Ezzor in late 2017 received crucial support from Nawaf al-Bashir, a prominent member of the Baqqara in Syria.
Al-Bashir had been an early defector to the side of the opposition in 2011, but last summer he publicly declared his renewed support for the
Syrian government on Iran’s Arabic-language news channel al-Alam. The article explains how Iran has leveraged ancestral lineage between
al-Bashir’s clan and Muhammad al-Baqir, the fifth Imam for mainstream Shi’i Islam but a relatively inconsequential figure for Sunni history,
in order to draw him and his followers in the Baqqara tribe back into the loyalist camp. The Baqqara militia, which also played a role in the
Battle of Aleppo, is tellingly called the “Al-Baqir Brigade” in reference to Muhammad al-Baqir. According to the article, the militia received
initial training from Iran but is now trained by Iraqi militias from the Popular Mobilization Forces (for more see: “Shia Symbolism: Iran-Backed
Militias Resurgent in Syria,” OE Watch October 2016 and “Chechen Military Police in East Aleppo,” OE Watch March 2017).

Iran’s persistent efforts in the “gray zone,” at times conducted in conjunction with military operations, have yielded a diffuse yet strongly
rooted presence in Syria. What is occurring in Deir Ezzor is not unique: gaining local allies, spreading ideology, providing material assistance,
and helping set up local militias have all been part of Iran’s modus operandi throughout the Syria conflict. These efforts have borne fruits in part
due to measures begun decades ago, and their cumulative effects are likely to continue for many years. End OE Watch Commentary (Winter)