Iran's armed forces are "at war with themselves" over the fall of Bashar Assad's regime in Syria and the impact it will have on the terror state's influence in the region, The Telegraph reported Tuesday.
The crisis in Tehran has some in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps blaming and calling for the dismissal of Quds Force Brig. Gen. Esmail Qaani for allowing Assad's forces to disperse, according to the report.
"The atmosphere is like something between almost punching each other, punching the walls, yelling at each other and kicking rubbish bins. They are blaming each other, and no one is taking responsibility," one Tehran official told The Telegraph.
"No one ever imagined seeing Assad fleeing, as the focus for 10 years had been only on keeping him in power. And it was not because we were in love with him, it was because we wanted to maintain proximity to Israel and Hezbollah," the official added.
One issue is that Syria was the main route Iran used for supplying its proxy group Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, according to the report.
"For now, there are no discussions about arms, as everyone is trying to understand what is really happening and how dangerous it is for Iran," an IRGC official told The Telegraph.
According to a report Sunday, Assad reached out to Iran for assistance after rebels began seizing key cities and advancing on Damascus. However, Iranian officials informed him that any support would be "limited in nature if it came at all."
Further, Syrian officials stated that Iran blamed Assad for failing to prepare for the attack and cited Israeli airstrike threats as a reason for withholding reinforcements.
According to The Telegraph, that is being pinned on Qaani.
"He has done nothing to prevent Iran's interests from crumbling. Allies fell one after another, and he was watching from Tehran. Even worse days might yet be coming," the IRGC official told the outlet.
Now, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to publicly address the "recent regional developments" to the nation on Wednesday, according to the report.
"The situation is bizarre and heated and angry discussions are taking place — the other concern is what to tell supporters in Iran," the IRGC official told the outlet.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.