PHOTO: Iran’s President Rouhani (right) with Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis on Wednesday
Those, who patronized terrorists, equipped them and were defeated at the battleground, now want to be present in the political field for advancing their interests. The US initially insisted on overthrowing the legitimate authorities of Syria and bringing in a puppet regime instead of them.
The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly opposes the US participation in the intra-Syrian talks in Astana. If this happens, then tomorrow Saudi Arabia and Qatar will seek to take part in these talks – the countries that played a major role in equipping and sending terrorists to Syria.declared, “Due to Iran’s objection to the US participation in the Astana gathering, Washington has been sent no joint invitation by the three countries, at whose initiative the meeting is to take place.”
Russia and Turkey are pursuing the talks as part of their cooperation since August, which has led to the pro-Assad reoccupation of all of Aleppo city and endorsement of a Turkish-rebel offensive to take part of northern Syria from the Islamic State. Their nominal ceasefire has never been accepted by the Assad regime, but the two countries have persisted with the attempt for regime-opposition talks in Kazakhstan on January 23.
Iran publicly joined the process in late December in a Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Moscow, but Tehran continues to take a firmer line that President Assad must remain in power.
Russia indirectly hit back on Wednesday, featuring the comments of Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Miqdad, with the pro-regime Lebanese outlet al-Mayadeen, that any country which “honestly seeks to facilitate the peaceful settlement of the Syrian conflict, is eligible to take part in the Astana meeting”.
Miqdad set the conditions of the regime — and/or the Russians — that Washington “will have to prove its sincerity about settling the Syrian crisis” through measures such as “exert[ing] pressure on Turkey to make it close its border with Syria” and influencing “partners” such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to prevent them “from financing militant groups and supplying weapons to them”.
“US Supporting Islamic State Offensive v. Regime”
To support its political line, Iranian outlets are spreading the disinformation that the US is supporting an Islamic State offensive against the Assad regime in eastern Syria.
There is no evidence for the assertion that Washington, with a focus on pushing back ISIS in Syria, is involved with the attacks in and near Deir ez-Zor, Syria’s 7th-largest city.
Syria Daily, Jan 17: Islamic State Surrounds Regime in Deir ez-Zor
But Revolutionary Guards outlet Fars News, citing a mysterious “informed source”, insisted, “The Pentagon is guiding the terrorists through the war in the eastern city.”
And Tehran University lecturer Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a prominent spokesman for the regime position, gave an academic explanation to Press TV: “The alliance helped the terrorists by intentionally bombing Syrian Army position”.
