Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeIran News NowWorld News IranUS-Backed Troops Reclaim Oil Field From ISIS to the Ire of Iran...

US-Backed Troops Reclaim Oil Field From ISIS to the Ire of Iran and Assad Regimes

 

NCRI Staff

NCRI – US-backed fighters in the Middle East reclaimed an oil-rich and strategically significant part of Syria from ISIS last week, but are being accused of collusion with the terrorist group by Russia and Iran.

It is unlikely that the forces, who are on opposite sides in the Syrian Civil War but- at least in theory- on the same side in the fight against ISIS, will be involved in a direct confrontation because of communication between the US and Russian military.

Iran, on the other hand, would likely welcome the conflict as it feeds into the Regime’s overall goal of destabilisation of the Middle East, which is the reason they became so heavily involved in Syria to begin with.

The Syrian regime, which needs oil money to boost its economy and further continue its destruction of its own people, is frustrated that US-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) gained control of it the area around Syria’s Al Omar oil field, which produces roughly 9,000 barrels of oil per day.

As a result, Russia has released angry statements which accuse the US of colluding with ISIS in order to besiege Syria and Syrian politicians began fanning the flames of war.

The Syrian regime’s Information Minister, Mohammad Ramiz Turjuman, even said: “We don’t consider any town to be liberated before the Syrian army enters it and raises the Syrian flag over it.”

While prominent Syrian lawmaker, Khaled Abboud, said: “We will confront any side that stands in the way of the Syrian Arab Army and its allies recovering any area they want.”

US Army Col. Ryan Dillon, the spokesperson for the US-led anti-Daesh coalition, said that the US coalition was prepared for anything, although he didn’t foresee an actual conflict between the Russia/Iran/Syria forces and the US-backed coalition.

He said: “We are prepared to defend our partners if they are attacked, whether by [ISIS] fighters or by anyone else. We certainly don’t want to come to that and we will continue to de-conflict with our Russian partners.”

He also suggested the SDF would continue south into Al Bukamal on the Iraqi border, fueling concerns of conflict between the two groups and the superpowers.

The SDF is liberating major ground from ISIS (including a major natural gas field and other smaller oil fields) on the Eastern bank of the Euphrates River, while Iranian- and Russian- backed forces are taking land on the Western side.

Ahmed Abu Khawla, commander of the Deir Al Zor military council for the SDF, said they wanted to completely liberate the eastern bank of the Euphrates and were not seeking conflict with anyone other than ISIS.

He said: “We were determined to get this oil field. We are expecting everything. We can see clashes and we have taken our precautions. Our project is to liberate the eastern bank – all of it. We are ready for all solutions: political, diplomatic or military.”

Jennifer Cafarella, lead researcher at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War said that she expected that said Russia, Iran, and Assad would be preparing to cut a deal with the Kurds and pressure the SDF in order to gain control of land reclaimed by the US-backed forces.