IRGC 'Advisor' Killed in Syria During Israeli Bombing
Iranian government media report that a Revolutionary Guard "advisor", Saeed (Saeid) Abyar was killed in an Israeli air strike near Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria early Monday.
Iranian government media report that a Revolutionary Guard "advisor", Saeed (Saeid) Abyar was killed in an Israeli air strike near Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria early Monday.
Earlier in the day, Syrian state media reported that an unknown number of people were killed in an Israeli air strike.
Abyar's rank is not clear, but the his designation as an advisor points to his likely high rank as an officer in the IRGC.
Iran claims its forces in Syria are advisors invited by the Syrian government, while since 2011 it has sent thousands of Iran, Afghan, Iraq and Pakistani militias to fight to defend President Bashar al-Assad against his opponents in the country's civil war.
This was the second reported attack on the country in less than a week, following a string of air strikes since the October 7 Hamas invasion of Israel. Some sources said the targets were affiliated with Iranian-backed forces in the region. Israel usually does not comment about its air strikes in Syria.
The strikes at around 12:20 a.m. early Monday (2120 GMT on Sunday) "led to a number of fatalities and some material damage", the source said, without elaborating. Independent sources have not reported more details so far.
A devastating air strike on April 1 flattened a building in the Iranian diplomatic compound in Damascus, where two senior Revolutionary Guard generals and five other officers died. Reportedly, these individuals were involved in operations aimed at intensifying attacks on Israel. This led to a massive Iranian missile and drone retaliatory attack against Israel on April 13, which inflicted minimal damage. Most projectiles were shot down.
This month, Mohammad Reza Bani-Taba, the spokesman for Iran’s Dairy Industry Association, announced that per capita milk and dairy consumption in Iran has dropped to 70 kg/year, which is less than half the global average.
Bani-Taba did not specify the exact extent of the decline in dairy and milk consumption in recent years, nor did he clarify whether this reduction has been gradual or abrupt.
According to statistics of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the country’s per capita milk and dairy products consumption declined from 101 kg in 2010 to 70 kg in 2023.
While dietary habits vary across cultures, it is noteworthy that in neighboring Turkey, citizens consume 3.5 times more milk and dairy products than Iranians.
Turkey produces over 21 million tons of milk and dairy products annually, yet exports less than 0.5 million tons. In contrast, Iran, with only a third of Turkey's production, exports four times more than its western neighbor.
Iran’s milk and dairy products exports have surged by 500% in recent years, driven by plummeting domestic demand and the termination of the school milk distribution program. The government ceased free milk distribution in schools in the mid-2010s, significantly boosting exports. However, in late 2023, the government announced plans to reinstate the free milk program in schools.
On meat consumption, FAO statistics indicate that consumption per capita in Iran has decreased from 38.6 kg in 2010 to 31.8 kg in 2023, reflecting a 17% decline.
Meat has experienced the highest inflation among food items in recent years, with prices surging above 100% in mid-2023. Just last month, meat prices saw a 74% year-on-year increase.
Official statistics also reveal a 22% decline in daily per capita calorie intake in Iran, dropping to 2,100 calories since the 2010s, with the situation worsening each year.
According to a 2023 report by the semi-official ILNA news agency, one-third of Iran’s population now lives in extreme poverty, with this number nearly doubling from 2020 to 2021.
However, the real figure is likely much higher. Official statistics from the Interior Ministry indicate that around 60% of Iranians live below the relative poverty line.
