Iran's Secret Army Our World

untold story, with a dramatic outcome.

A year ago, the rebels in Syria seems to have the upper hand.

Something has changed. The rebels say Syrian government forces are

being bolstered by a neighbouring power.

Soldiers from Iran's Revolutionary Guard are on the ground in helping

to turn the tide of the world. When this secret footage, shot by an

uranium, fell into rebel hands, the extent of Iran's role in Syria was

exposed the first time. If there is one country interfering with Syria,

it is Iran. It is the story of two man, a young filmmaker and a veteran

fighter. Both are being caught up in a vicious conflict on foreign soil.

It is a story of life and death, and the hidden reality of a battle

fought in the shadows. Iran denies sending military forces to support

President Assad. This film is proof of the Ayatollah's secret war in

Syria. A government air base near Damascus

in Syria. Boarding the helicopter flight is this man, he is a 30

`year`old filmmaker from Iran. It is his second trip to Syria and he is

on the sensitive assignment. He is making a film on the half of Iran's

Elyse Revolutionary Guard. Aleppo in northern Syria, this section of the

war`ravaged city is under the control of the Assad regime. Here he

is again, in footage filmed by a colleague.

Filming in Syria's civil war is a hazardous occupation.

In September, a group of Syrian rebels contacted the international

media saying they had captured a video camera after a battle. They

said it contained footage which proved their long stated allegation,

that Iranians forces were on the ground in Syria and supporting the

Assad regime. After burning their own logo onto

the pictures, the rebels put the captured footage of a secret place

on you Tube. They also said they had recovered special identity cards

belonging to an uranium battlefield commander. `` Iranians. It allowed

him to carry weapons and travel anywhere in Syria. Such permits are

only offered to important regime personnel. This man, born in

northern Iran is a veteran commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. Were

the rebels telling the truth, or was this an elaborate hoax? Broadcasting

House in London, the headquarters of the BBC. A small team of journalists

is examining all of the captured video. It seems to have been shot in

northern Syria over a period of about four days in late August this

year. Accents, uniforms, equipment and local landmarks have all been

analysed by experts from the BBC's Persian and Arabic services.

Everything in the footage points to its authenticity. We have heard a

lot that the Revolutionary Guard are in Syria fighting. We had not seen

any proof until now. When I watched this footage, I was convinced it was

real. The way these people talk, the way they behave, and some

confidential information received from sources in Iran tells me it is

real. This is the first time all of the material shot has been pieced

together. It is likely that it was never intended for public broadcast.

It was some sort of internal Revolutionary Guard project. When

you watch the footage, it becomes obvious that despite their repeated

denials, he wryly secretly playing a critical role in helping turn the

tide of the war back in favour of the Assad regime. The captured

footage starts in some sort of pro` regime are terry facility in Aleppo.

The filmmaker is now behind the camera. These signs written in

Arabic and Farsi warned people not to take any photographs on their

mobile phones. Such restrictions do not seem to apply to the filmmaker.

These soldiers are all uranium `` Irani and. This is a communications

room, a very sensitive location. The radio operator is Irani and. When he

tries to engage in conversation, the man seems uncomfortable being

filmed. The access he had to fill operations in Syria is remarkable.

Only a trusted insider would be allowed the free reign he seems to

enjoy. He may have been a member of the guard, released part of the

auxiliary forces. Who are the Revolutionary Guard is, and why are

they helping the regime? Following the Islamic revolution in 1979, the

Ayatollah became the supreme leader. The Revolutionary Guard was set up

to defend the regime. When Saddam Hussein's Iraqi invaded, the

Revolutionary Guard prove themselves exceptionally loyal and brave

fighters. Through the eight`year conflict, Syria was the only Arab

country to stand by Tehran. That is something the leadership has never

forgotten. As for the Revolutionary Guard, their power and influence has

grown to such an extent that they are almost a state within a state.

It is not just a battlefield force, it is a force involved in logistics,

intelligence, economic projects, major infrastructure and

engineering. It supports the goals of the Islamic Republic, but it also

has its own specific goals, to extend its own economic and

political interests. The Revolutionary Guard have a special

Branch named after the Islamic term for Jerusalem. To run says it

ultimately wants to liberate it. And Irani and cross between the CIA and

the Special Forces. They effectively run our own covert foreign policy.

Right now their main concern is helping President Assad when the

civil law. Iran is propping up the Assad regime. It is their main ally,

there are only Arab ally. It is their means of projecting power. If

Assad falls, Iran's foreign policy objectives will be constrained. They

are doing everything they can to keep the site in power by means of

finances, money, training, intelligence and equipment. Back on

the ground in Syria, they are now attached to a group of Revolutionary

Guard based in south`eastern Aleppo. In this footage, they are taking a

tour of the city's frontline areas. His guides seem keen to show off the

local danger zones. The two men in front the jeep a

veteran fighters. The cameraman sounds increasingly concerned.

Eventually, they pull up at a house in a suburb of Aleppo. It is where

this particular unit of the Revolutionary Guard are living. The

man sitting on the right`hand side is a man whose ID was later captured

by the rebels. An experienced for Scamander, he says he has over 60

was of duty in Syria in the past 1.5 years. He will be the main character

in the film. Relaxed and humorous, he

nevertheless has a very ideological view of the Syrian conflict runs's

role in it. The footage shows these are a

tightknit group. This is the leader's right`hand man. He is the

joker in the pack. He appears religious leaders always laughing

and clowning around. Both of these men speak Arabic. Neither are

particularly young. That, say the experts, is exactly the point. The

force officers that have gone into Syria are therefore training,

basically. They are experienced fighters. They have seen action on

the ground in Iraqi. Many of them have trained has belied in Levin on

and train has belied in Iran itself. They are released. The slick elite.

One of the things these advisers is trying to do is to win the hearts

and minds of local people in the areas they control. He is openly

critical of his Syria now the allies for their attitudes to the Syrians.

It is textbook hearts and minds stuff.

But it hides a less respectful attitude.

His footage shows and other of the Guardsman's tasks, that is their

most important, is to train and organise a new group, known as the

National defence Force, or MDF. The Revolutionary guards have a long

history of merging militias across the Middle East. That it seems the

NDF are not being trained on the ground in Syria itself,

The National defence Force is a network of pro`Assad militias,

mainly composed of Alawites, Shia muslins, and some Christians. They

are loyalists as Matt, all of whom fear a rebel victory. But the very

make`up of the NDF may actually deep the sectarian divide in Syria in the

long run. But the Revolutionary guards are not just providing

training. According to the filmmaker, the role as military

advisers is a very hands on one. So these Iranian Revolutionary

guards are involved in hearts and minds, in training militia, and are

seemingly conducting military operations. That is it working? He

is a weapons expert who specialises in analysing the many thousands of

online videos that have come out of the city and conflict. But he says

that Hadi Baghbani's footage really stood out. The Iranian intervention

has been quite useful for the Syrian army. The big problem that I used to

see in Syria, you would have tanks driving into towns, not supported by

infantry. Because they could not be trusted. Because they came from the

Sunni populations. So the situation that you are having now, they asked

supported by infantry. It must be coming from the National defence

Force. His camera also captures the

Iranians in some more relaxed moments. While most of the squad are

busy themselves preparing dinner, the deputy commander is washing his

clothing. He has been singing a pop song. Realising that he is being

filmed, and that his conservative superiors may watch the footage, he

literally changes his tune, and start singing a more Islamic style

instead. At evening prayers, the group

gathers together. It is an opportunity to crack another joke.

The sun rises over Aleppo. But this will not be AT school day. Reports

are coming in that a force of rebel fighters is moving in on a nearby

regime stronghold, known as the poultry farm, close to this place.

His units get some reinforcements from the local NDF militia that they

are training. There is no considerate driving style now. This

is a military emergency. The two truckloads of fighters had to the

poultry farm base as fast as they can.

The camera captures this reflect a shot. He is in military uniform,

carrying his camera in one hand, and a Kalashnikov in the other. But any

enthusiasm for real`life combat does not last. The veteran fighter is no

longer making jokes. He knows what could happen next. This is no

laughing matter. There are about 40 fighters now gathered in the base,

including at least one other squad of Iranian military advisers. All

these men know an attack is coming. Esmail Heydari and the other person

the desk what on a record mission. They want to secure the right`hand

flank of the battlefield. He sounds unsettled.

At first glance, this Iranian led group looks well`equipped for a

fight. Then Esmail Heydari spots movement on the horizon.

What the Iranians cannot see is that there are a far more than three

rebels. What you are seeing now is footage filmed by the rebels' own

cameraman, as their column of fighters advance towards the combat

zone. They are both outnumbering the other squad, and have much heavier

weapons, including a tank. The Iranians are heading into an ambush.

With bullets slicing through the cornfield and mortar rounds crashing

in, the group is pinned down. Realising the danger, he makes a run

for it. The others tried to retreat. But it is too late. These are the

last images that have been filmed. Two days later, Esmail Heydari is

buried with full military honours in Iran. Its final confirmation of his

important role in the Revolutionary guards. This is Hadi Baghbani. His

body is still covered with his blood. He too has joined the rates

on `` the ranks of Iran's martyrs from the Syrian wall. He never made

a home to his wife. All his three`year`old daughter. He never

lived to see his film going out. Even after all of this, the

Revolutionary guards continue to deny they have a military presence

in Syria. The rebels think the guards are

trying to further sectarian eyes the conflict. Others argue it is all

about geopolitics and self interest. It is not surprising to me that in

Syria, it ran has given training both to the regular Syrian Armed

Forces, and also the paramilitary groups. The paramilitary groups may

well outlast the Assad regime. It is one way that Iran keeps its options

open. Even if the President force, it will have a force that is

committed to it, but relies upon Iran for training and support. So

that Iran can continue to maintain a presence and a group of allies in

Syria. The story of Hadi Baghbani and Esmail Heydari shines a light on

to Iran's covert war in Syria. But it is also a snapshot of a far wider

tragedy. With more than 100,000, mostly Syrians, killed so far,

there's are about to Mork `` two more lives cut short in the human

catastrophe that is Syria today. It has been a wet start to the

night. The rains are clearing. More wet and windy weather on the way for

the weekend. : with many of the bonfire displays. Not a great

combination. Even ahead of that, issues with fog. The low pressure

has gone through. It is giving the heavy rain across Wales in central

England. This is the one that we are watching for Saturday. It is

starting to build up. It is going to come through quite quickly but give

us a nasty conditions with gales and severe gales. The lack of