New York Times: Iran has begun to evacuate military officials and personnel from Syria

Iran began to evacuate its military commanders and personnel from Syria on Dec. 6, The New York Times writes, referring to three Iranian officials.

Among those evacuated to neighboring Iraq and Lebanon were top commanders of Iran’s powerful Quds Forces, the external branch of the Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The move signaled a remarkable turn for Bashar al-Assad, whose government Iran has backed throughout Syria’s 13-year civil war.

“Guards personnel, some Iranian diplomatic staff, their families, and Iranian civilians were also being evacuated, according to the Iranian officials, two of them members of the Guards, and regional officials. Iranians began to leave Syria on Friday morning, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive issue,” the newspaper writes.