PHOTO: The Russian, Iranian, and Syrian Defense Ministers in Tehran on Thursday
LATEST
The Defense Ministers of Iran, Syria, and Russia have promised a “decisive fight” against President Assad’s opponents in the Syrian civil war.
The three men — Iran’s Hossein Dehghan, Syria’s Fahd Jassem al-Freij, and Russia’s Sergei Shoigu — spoke after a hastily-arranged meeting in Tehran on Thursday.
The discussions were held after a series of defeats of Iranian-led forces by rebels near Syria’s largest city Aleppo. The rebel bloc Jaish al-Fatah has retaken much of the territory claimed by last autumn’s regime-Iranian-Hezbollah offensives, supported by thousands of Russian airstrikes.
See Syria Feature: Rebels Keep Upper Hand Around Aleppo
Dehghan said in a press conference:
We made decisions for what must be done on the regional and operational levels in an agreed upon and coordinated manner….
The terrorists and their supporters must know that the group fighting against them is determined to support this route until the end and will do so.
He blamed foreign powers for the difficulty in overcoming the challenge to the Assad regime: “The aggressive policy based on hegemony, which is being pursued by the United States, Israel and some other countries, which patronize terrorism, stands behind the current regional crisis.”
A Russian Defense Ministry statement was more cautious, saying only that the meeting considered “priority measures in reinforcing the cooperation” between the three countries against the Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra.
Syrian State media quoted al-Freij as saying, “For over five years Syria has been confronting Takfiri terrorism led by the US which exerted immense efforts to fight Syria, making it imperative for us to confront terrorism.”
“A Comprehensive Ceasefire”
Despite his tough rhetoric, Dehghan made no commitment to an escalation in Iran’s intervention, in which Tehran has put in commanders and troops and led Iraqi, Afghan, and Pakistani militias.
Instead, the Defense Minister put emphasis on the political:
We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire, the establishment of relief clinics, and humanitarian efforts, while also preventing the support of terrorist groups and taking decisive military action against the terrorists, are the first steps for restoring security and stability to the region.
Iran always supports negotiations and solutions to the political crisis by negotiations….We support a ceasefire that will not cause a renewal of terrorism in the country.
Dehghan made no reference to the situation around Aleppo. Nor he did note that it is the Assad which is blamed for blocking humanitarian efforts, including aid to besieged areas.
Shoigu Meets Top Iranian Official
Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and Syria’s al-Freij each met the Secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, Admiral Ali Shamkhani.
In the photo opportunity with Shoigu, Shamkhani hailed “the courageous actions and policies of Russian President [Vladimir Putin] and his effective support in the comprehensive fight against terrorism in Syria” and claimed that the Tehran meeting showed “the iron-clad resolve of Russia, Syria, and Iran to counter Takfiri terrorists”.
Iranian media said Shoigu declared that “fighting terrorism is an international duty which all countries should work together to fulfill in order to have a more secure world”.
Shell Resumes Purchases of Iranian Oil
Royal Dutch Shell has resumed purchases of Iranian crude oil.
Shell is the second major oil firm, following France’s Total, to restart trade with Tehran after January’s implementation of the July 2015 nuclear deal.
Shell has fitted a Suezmax tanker, Delta Hellas, to bring 130,000 tons of Iranian crude from Khargh Island on July 8 to continental Europe.
In April, Iran said that Shell had cleared debts of more than $1.7 billion for previous oil purchases. Shell had been unable to pay because of US-led sanctions.
Since January, Iran has sold oil to refineries in Spain, Greece, and Italy as well as to Asia and its four largest customers — China, India, South Korea, and Japan.
