The newspaper "Asharq Al-Awsat" reported that Iran is working to turn the Deir ez-Zor area in Syria into a closed military zone. Militias in the area, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, are bringing in fighters from Iraq across the border crossings between Syria and Iraq, in preparation for a potential escalation against Israel. The Deir ez-Zor area has been designated as a closed military zone, with civilians prohibited from entering.
According to the report, citing local sources, an Iranian militia in Al-Mayadeen and Al-Asharah has prevented farmers from accessing fields in eastern Deir ez-Zor in recent days. It was reported that this restriction was justified by considering those areas as military, thus banning civilians from entering, while a limited number of militia members were allowed to cultivate small plots of land.
Since 2017, the presence of armed militias affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in Deir ez-Zor has strengthened, with around 22 militias reported, including 9 local militias and 13 of non-Syrian nationalities. According to the report, the Revolutionary Guard has established "small and medium militias, with varied tasks and specialties."
With increased tensions in the region since the onset of the war in Gaza and concerns over the broader conflict, Iran has redeployed its militias in border areas extending to the southern front adjacent to Israel, and has begun restricting civilian access to areas where its affiliated militias are present.
