PHOTO: Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem in Moscow on Friday (AP)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held discussions with Russian officials on Friday about the Syrian crisis.
Visiting Moscow, Zarif saw Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov before the two men were joined by Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem.
The discussions took place as Russia faces political pressure over the Russian-regime siege and bombing of opposition areas of Syria’s largest Aleppo. As Zarif and Lavrov were meeting, rebels launched a major offensive, taking regime positions southwest of the city and raising the possibility of a lifting of the two-month siege.
See Syria Daily, Oct 28: Rebels Strike Back Near Aleppo
Iranian State media offered no reaction to the latest events. Instead, they featured Zarif’s remarks, as he landed in Moscow, that Iran “has always stressed the necessity of a multilateral ceasefire, sending humanitarian aid, and efforts to find a political solution to the Syrian conflict”.
He continued, “Some countries want war and a military solution to the Syrian conflict even though [only] a political solution can resolve the crisis along with combating Takfiri groups.”
At the photo opportunity with Lavrov and Moallem, Zarif said:
In fighting terrorism, Iran and Russia have had great cooperation. It is necessary that we expand this cooperation and discussions as much as possible, considering the threat from terrorism… The deplorable humanitarian situation in Yemen and Syria requires us to have more cooperation.
