TO PROTECT IRANIAN FORCES
The deployment of air defenses in Deir Ezzor indicates that the Russian military is planning to expand its presence in the governorate, possibly to deter the US-led coalition and the SDF.Hatlah is located within a small pocket on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River that is held by the Syrian Arab Army and Iranian-backed forces. The pocket is surrounded by bases of the US-led coalition and its proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
