Iran is reportedly withdrawing the 2,500 Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and Basiji paramilitary combat soldiers deployed to Syria after a decision was reached by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. This is according to a news report by Israel's Channel 2. The report did not give the exact reason why the forces were being withdrawn but did say 700 advisers would remain to assist Iran's ally in Syria, the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Also Iran will continue to arm and support the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. Hezbollah has sent its forces into Syria on the side of Assad in mid-2013 and are believed to have lost at least 1,300 men as part of this effort to date. At least 160 IRGC paramilitary soldiers are believed to have been killed in Syria, six of which were senior officers, and another 300 wounded. This comes a week after US Secretary of State John Kerry testified to Congress and said that Iran has "pulled a significant number of troops" out of Syria but added that this "doesn't mean they're still not engaged and active in the flow of weapons from Syria through Damascus to Lebanon."
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