About that shipload of Iranian weapons a few days ago….
Iran and Hezbollah build militia networks in Syria in event that Assad falls, officials say

A senior Obama administration official sited Iranian claims that Tehran was backing as many as 50,000 militiamen in Syria. “It’s a big operation,” the official said. “The immediate intention seems to be to support the Syrian regime. But it’s important for Iran to have a force in Syria that is reliable and can be counted on.”

Iran’s strategy, a senior Arab official agreed, has two tracks. “One is to support Assad to the hilt, the other is to set the stage for major mischief if he collapses.”

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.