BEIRUT, December 23. /TASS/. Shia armed factions from the Islamic Resistance in Iraq have chosen not to interfere in the situation in Syria and suspend military operations against Israel aimed at supporting Palestinian groups in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon’s Al-Akhbar newspaper reports.

According to the paper, the decision stems from an agreement that Shia militias reached with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sudani.

A field leader from Iraq’s Al-Nujaba Shia militia told the newspaper that "the [resistance] units have decided not to intervene in Syrian affairs and to monitor the situation from a distance," until US President-elect "Donald Trump’s stance on the Middle East, particularly with regard to Iran, becomes clear."

Kazem Al-Fartousi, spokesman for the Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada Brigades militia, in turn, explained to Al-Akhbar, that "the operations against Israel had been linked to Hezbollah's activities but once a ceasefire was reached in Lebanon, the operations were suspended." According to him, a number of Shia units in Iraq are urging the resumption of military operations against Israel and the issue is being discussed.

In late November, armed opposition units launched a large-scale offensive on positions held by Syrian government forces. On December 8, they entered Damascus. Bashar Assad resigned as Syrian president and fled the country. On December 10, Mohammed al-Bashir, who had led the so-called Syrian Salvation Government in the Idlib Province since January 2024, announced his appointment as head of Syria’s interim government. The interim period is expected to last until March 1, 2025.