An Iranian commander who led the battle to retake Aleppo in 2017 is said to have returned to the war-torn nation of Syria as a new rebel offensive unfolds. Javad Ghaffari, a senior figure in the IRGC, was reported to have arrived in Damascus on Dec. 3, Iran’s state media reports. Ghaffari was sanctioned by the US in September 2024 for his role in “targeting critics of the Iranian regime abroad”Previously, Ghaffari spent several years in Syria leading forces to reclaim key central and Eastern cities from opposition groups. He was dubbed “Butcher of Aleppo” by his foes following the bloody battle in which thousands were killed and injured.The move comes only hours after Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran’s forces could be deployed to Syria if requested by Assad. n18oc_world n18oc_crux0:00 INTRODUCTION2:38 RUSSIA ABANDONS NAVAL BASE IN SYRIA?5:15 ERDOGAN-PUTIN DISCUSS SYRIA ON CALL6:30 US-BACKED FIGHTERS ATTACK ASSAD’S FORCES