Iran spending billions to support Assad: UN envoy

Iran has allocated billions of dollars a year to the backing of Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime in the midst of the heated Syrian civil war and ongoing nuclear negotiations with the Western world, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

A spokesmen for the UN envoy to Syria told Bloomberg that an estimated $6 billion are spent annually to support the Assad regime. Other experts estimate the figure to be much higher - crossing the threshold to $14-15 billion in military aid.

Iran has been able to funnel funds to war-stricken Syria despite international sanctions cutting off the Shiite nation from the international financial system.

In an interview on Israeli television last week, US President Barack Obama said Iran's military budget should not be a reason for concern. "Their budget - their military budget - is $15 billion compared to $150 billion for the Gulf States," he said.

The Iranian regime remains mum on its military budget and does not disclose information on sums spent on subsidies for allies. In accordance, all numbers are estimates.

Yet experts remain firm on the fact that Iran supports Assad's regime substantially, with billions spent annually on lines of credit, subsidies for weapons, and military resources for Assad's Syria.