Syrian Army Chief Visited Iran Secretly: Has He Turned Against Assad?

The Syrian Chief of Staff, General Abdul Karim Mahmoud Ibrahim, recently visited Iran without informing President Bashar Assad. According to a report from Al Arabiya, "the Syrian Chief of Staff made decisions that created ties with Iran," which led to Israeli attacks on Syrian and non-Iranian sites. The report revealed "indications that the Syrian Chief of Staff agreed to transfer military equipment from the army to Hezbollah." Sources added that Ibrahim "approved operations against Israel from Syria without the knowledge of the Syrian president." According to the report, the Syrian army chief "approved the launch of drones from Syria towards Israel in mid-July," indicating that Ibrahim "visited Tehran secretly to strengthen relations with Iran." The sources noted that "Ibrahim poses a danger to the stability of Syria and harms its vital facilities."