Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has appointed Hossein Salami, a senior commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), as the new chief commander of the military elite force, promoting him to the rank of major general.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met senior Russian officials for talks in Damascus on April 20, with both countries’ state media saying a deal was close to lease out Syria’s Tartus port to Russia.

The summoning of Iraqi mercenaries showed that Khamenei isn’t quite sure of the regime’s military and security apparatus and, when the chips are down, relies on his foreign legion.