PHOTO: Supreme Leader’s top aide Ali Akbar Velayati: “All sides acknowledged Syrian government’s legitimacy”

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Iran’s regime has used political talks to renew its firm support of Syria’s President Assad, despite signs that Russia may be beginning to distance itself from Tehran.

Russia, Iran, and Turkey issued a statement on Tuesday, after two days of talks in the Kazakh capital Astana, renewing their commitment to a ceasefire. However, the Assad regime immediately indicated it will not abide by the truce, continuing an offensive near Damascus, while the opposition said it wanted the removal of all Iranian-led foreign militias from Syria.

See Syria Daily, Jan 25: Russia-Turkey-Iran Pledge Ceasefire, But Assad Regime Says No

The Supreme Leader’s top aide Ali Akbar Velayati said it was “positive” that a ceasefire had been welcomed, but he focused on the position of President Assad: “The Astana meeting showed that all sides, including Turkey and those groups, which follow this country and even countries not present there (in Astana), have acknowledged the Syrian government’s legitimacy either directly or indirectly.”

Iran has declared that Assad’s future is a “red line” which cannot be crossed. Russia has been more cautious in its position, as it focused on a reconciliation with Turkey — a leading back of the Syrian opposition and rebels — which brought a de facto partition of northern Syria, a nominal ceasefire on December 30, and the talks in Astana including the regime and the opposition-rebel bloc.

The opposition-rebel bloc is hoping that negotiations in Astana — and the Assad regime’s de facto rejection of a ceasefire and end to sieges — might lead Russia to move away from unconditional military support of Damascus and to press for a compromise.

Filmmaker Deldan and Journalist Karimian Arrested

Filmmaker Saleh Deldan and journalist Zeynab Karimian have been detained in the latest arrests by the Intelligence Ministry.

Deldan has been regularly interrogated by the Ministry and the Revolutionary Guards since the 2009 protests over the disputed Presidential election. In December, his home was searcned and he was accused of him of “acting against national security” and “propaganda against the regime”, but officers stopped short of arresting him.

It is unclear why Karimian, a former reporter for Mehr and the Islamic Republic’s news agencies and a supporter of Hassan Rouhani, has been seized.

Reporters asked the President’s spokesperson Mohammad Baqer Nobakht on Tuesday about the arrests, but he deflected the questions: “I don’t have any information. You should ask the Intelligence Minister.”