PHOTO: Iranian 1st Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri “We Will Support Syria as Much as We Can”

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Iran’s regime has issued another high-profile statement over Syria’s civil war, declaring its “unflinching support” for the Assad regime.

First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri said, after a telephone conversation with Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi on Tuesday:

The Islamic Republic of Iran has not thought twice about its determination and will to support the resistance of the Syrian people and government in the fight against terrorist groups and under current difficult circumstances Iran will support Syria as much as it can.

Jahangiri praised the success of the foreign-led regime offensive, enabled by Russian airstrikes, which has gained territory this month in northern Aleppo Province and cut off rebels between the Turkish border and Aleppo city.

Iran put in more commanders and troops for the offensives, which began in October as Russia began its bombing. The Iranian military is recruiting and leading Iraqi and Afghan militias, offering money and permanent residency to Afghan immigrants who will go into battle.

Since October 7, Iranian media have acknowledged the deaths of almost 200 troops, including at least 10 commanders, with 60 killed this month.

Iranian officials have denied any entry of their forces; however, in recent days the Supreme Leader has pursued a campaign to convince the public of the need for sacrifice. He has been photographed twice with relatives of slain troops, and his office have posted pictures from 1984 of Ayatollah Khamenei’s visit to the Sayyed Zainab shrine south of Damascus.

Meanwhile, the Rouhani Government has declared that a political resolution in Syria cannot demand the removal of President Assad. On Monday, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif warned Turkey and Saudi Arabia, the leading backers of Syrian rebels, to avoid any direct military intervention in the crisis.

See Iran Daily, Feb 16: Zarif Warns Turkey and Saudi Arabia Over Syria

Russian Missiles Delivered to Tehran?

In another sign of the developing Russian-Iranian alliance over Syria, Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan has again visited Moscow for discussions, including with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.

A “source in Russia’s defense sector” said the Iranian military are hoping to obtain S-400 advanced surface-to-air missile systems.

Moscow has been cautious about delivering the S-400’s predecessor, the S-300, despite Iranian pressure to renew a contract which Russia suspended in 2010. Dehghan has said repeatedly that the S-300s would be delivered by the start of this year, but there is still no sign of shipment.

The Russian source said Dehghan is also discussing provision of Bastion coastal defense missile systems, Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainers, Mi-8/17 helicopters, frigates, and diesel-electric submarines.

Another unidentified Russian source told RIA Novosti that the first S-300 defense missile system would be sent to Iran on Thursday.

Sources from Russia’s arm exports agency have made similar unfulfilled claims in the past year.

RIA Novosti, quoting a “senior official” at the arms export agency, also said Moscow will sign a contract to send Su-30SM fighter jets to Iran.

Government: House Arrests of Opposition Leaders Are “Internal Issue”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has rejected criticism of the five-year house arrests of opposition leaders, including Mir Hossein Mousavi, a leading candidate in the 2009 Presidential election.

Mousavi, fellow 2009 candidate and Green Movement leader Mehdi Karroubi, and activist Zahra Rahnavard — an artist and academic who is married to Mousavi — were put in strict confinement in February 2011 amid regime fears of renewed protests.

President Rouhani promised in his 2013 campaign to deal with the cases of political prisoners, but has never pursued the Mousavi-Karroubi-Rahnavard case publicly.

On Sunday, the US State Department called for the release of the trio. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossein Jaberi Ansari responded, “This issue is being pursued inside the country and does not have anything to do with foreign countries.”

Mousavi was the leading challenger to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who was declared the winner of the 2009 election amid mass protests over manipulation of the outcome.

Guardian Council Confirms Final List of Candidates for Parliamentary Elections

The Guardian Council has confirmed the final list of approved candidates for the February 26 elections for Parliament.

The Council disqualified almost half of the 12,123 applicants for the 290-seat Majlis. Another 38 candidates were reinstated on appeal, out of 147 who filed complaints, for the final list.

Initially, the Council disqualified many centrists around President Rouhani and former President Hashemi Rafsanjani, and 99% of the 3,000 reformist hopefuls.

It is unclear how many centrists and reformists were reinstated.

Mohammad Reza Aref, a candidate for President in 2013, said a joint centrist-reformist list of candidates will be announced. Aref said the “Coalition of Reformists and Government Supporters” was “necessary” to compete with hardliners, given the Guardian Council’s mass disqualification of reformist candidates.

See Iran Daily, Feb 10: Reformists Face Their Bans from Elections