Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that his country helped evacuate 4,000 "Iranian fighters" from Syria, where the 61-year Baath Party regime's reign came to an end earlier this month.

“In the past, our Iranian friends asked us to help transfer their units to Syrian territory. Now, they have asked us to withdraw them. We transported 4,000 Iranian fighters to Tehran from the Hmeimim base,” Putin said during his annual end-of-year press conference.

Putin noted that approximately 30,000 people defended Aleppo when 350 fighters from anti-regime groups advanced on the city late last month.

“Government troops, along with the so-called pro-Iranian units, retreated without a fight, blew up their positions, and left,” he said.

When asked whether Russia will leave its bases in Syria, Putin said the decision has not yet been made.

“We must determine how our relations will develop with the political forces that currently control and will control the situation in this country in the future. Our interests must align,” he stated.

He also offered Moscow’s bases in Hmeimim and Tartus for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Putin further revealed that he has not spoken to ousted Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad since Assad fled and was granted asylum in Russia.

The Russian president pointed out that Israel is the main beneficiary of the downfall of the Assad regime in Syria, expressing doubt over Israel's intention of withdrawing troops from the recently seized buffer zone in Syria. 

“We hope that Israel will at some point leave the Syrian territory. But now it is bringing in additional troops,” Putin said.