PHOTO: Former Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi with President Assasd on Saturday

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Syria Analysis: Could Putin’s Withdrawal Backfire?

Iran has suddenly sent an envoy to Damascus for a meeting with Syria’s President Assad.

Kamal Kharrazi, a former Foreign Minister and now head of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, saw Assad on Saturday, five days after President Vladimir Putin announced the withdrawal of “most” Russian forces supporting the Syrian military.

Russia has shown signs of distancing itself from a full commitment to Assad’s future, with a proposal of federalism — allying itself with the Syrian Kurdish party PYD — and of elections at the end of a transition period.

Publicly Iran has maintained that Assad cannot be forced to step aside. The Supreme Leader’s top aide, Ali Akbar Velayati, has said that the issue is a red line for Tehran.

Syrian State media gave no clue to Kharrazi’s message. The SANA news agency merely said the Iranian had declared that “supporting Syria, be it on the level of fighting foreign-backed terrorism or in the political track, is a firmly established strategic policy for Iran”.

SANA headlined Assad’s assertion that “the victory of the Syrian people and their allies in the war against terrorism would contribute to establishing a more balanced and just world”.

Iran’s English-language media did not mention the meeting.

Kharrazi also saw Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem and National Reconciliation Affairs Minister Ali Haidar.

Iran’s Foreign Minister in Turkey

Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif made an official visit on Saturday to Turkey, a leading supporter of Syria’s opposition.

Zarif saw Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, issuing the ritual declaration:

Cooperation between Iran and Turkey is effective and useful in settling regional crises….High-ranking officials at the Islamic Republic of Iran attach a great significance to relations with Turkey.

Press TV did not mention Syria in its account of the discussions.

Who is Stealing Tuna from Aid Shipments for Besieged Madaya?

The opposition Local Coordination Committees report that tuna fish, vital in combating malnutrition, is disappearing from aid deliveries to the besieged town of Madaya in Damascus Province.

Activists say the tuna was missing from 3000 parcels, while only one of five tins was in another 1000.

The fish provides dietary protein which is essential to prevent the bloating associated with malnutrition.

More than 70 people have died of starvation since December 1 in Madaya, besieged by the Syrian military and Hezbollah since July.

Video: Overhead View of Friday Protest in Damascus Suburb of Saqba

Drone footage of a mass rally on Friday in Saqba in the besieged East Ghouta near Damascus:

And a clip from Sunday’s gathering in Rastan in Homs Province:

Video: Russian Airstrikes on Raqqa — Claim of 40+ Killed

Video of the aftermath of Russian airstrikes on the Islamic State’s center of Raqqa in northern Syria:

The activist group Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently claimed more than 40 people were killed in attacks on Saturday.

Kurdish National Council Denounces PYD Embrace of Federalism

The Kurdish National Council has denounced the declaration of federalism by other Kurdish groups, led by the Syrian Kurdistan Democratic Union Party (PYD):

The Kurdish National Council in Syria strongly denounces this step by the PYD [Democratic Union Party]. Although the KNC is in favour of federalism since 2012, it strictly opposes any attempt to impose federalism on the Syrian people without a preceding discussion.

The KNC is part of the opposition Syrian National Coalition.

The division is the latest between the KNC and PYD, despite three power-sharing agreements brokered by the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government.

See Syria and Beyond Feature: Mapping “The Kurds”

About 200 Kurdish delegates issued the federalism announcement on Thursday after a two-day conference in Hasakah Province in eastern Syria.