PHOTO: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian


Supporting Russia’s initiative for talks that would keep Syria’s President Assad in power as part of a political transition, Iran has proclaimed Assad’s “vital role” in the discussions.

Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the comments at a press conference in Moscow after meetings with Russian officials: “Iran in collaboration with Russia will put all its effort to resolve the crisis in Syria….The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will play a vital role in this process.”

Amir Abdollahian said, “The two countries will take all necessary measures to bring Syria out of crisis.”

He then backed the Russian initiative, which has been accompanied by a build-up of Moscow’s military forces in Syria, using Vladimir Putin’s rationale that Russia is intervening against the Islamic State: “We welcome the Russian president’s proposal on the formation of a joint committee to fight terrorism and we announce our readiness to implement this proposal.”

A Russian-Iranian effort for an international conference, launched in late June, foundered in mid-August when Saudi Arabia declared that Assad must depart for negotiations to proceed. However, Russia returned to the effort this month after it began putting warplanes, advanced armored vehicles, and troops into western Syria.

See Syria Daily, Sept 24: As Russia Intervenes, Regime Steps Up Airstrikes on Islamic State in Palmyra