Commander of Iran’s extra-territorial Quds Force, Esmail Qaani, has made a trip to Syria, meeting state and military officials and overseeing “a war game.”

Media affiliated with the Revolutionary Guards said Thursday that he took part in “a joint Iran-Syria drill and visited several regions in line with efforts to help Syria deal with military and security challenges.”

The reports did not provide any details about the nature or location of the drill, but photos released from his trip showed the IRGC commander among a small group of military men in miscellaneous khaki uniforms, a typical feature of Iran-backed militias across the region.

According to reports, he also held talks with senior officials and military commanders in the Syrian capital Damascus. Qaani (Ghaani) was quoted as reiterating the Islamic Republic’s propaganda line that “the US is the main root of chaos, terrorism and fighting in Syria, the region and the world.

“Syria and Iran are brother countries, and they enjoy significant, all-out and deep strategic relations. The Islamic Republic of Iran will be by the side of the Syrian people and leadership in dealing with challenges,” he said.

The visit came against the backdrop of tensions between Iran-backed proxy militias and Lebanese Hezbollah with Israel.

Last month, a former counter-terrorism advisor to two Israeli prime ministers talked of the possibility of Iranian proxies attacking Israel in September or October.

Yigal Carmon, the founder of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and one of Israel’s leading counter-terrorism experts, wrote an August 31st article titled “Signs Of Possible War In September-October,“ in which he argued a “confrontation could result from an uncontrolled deterioration on the ground or from the use of new and unusually deadly weapons by these movements [Hamas and Hezbollah].”