The top aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, held discussions with Assad regime officials in Syria’s capital Damascus on Wednesday.
Velayati (pictured), a former Foreign Minister, met the regime’s Deputy Foreign Minster Feisal al-Mikdad, with Syria’s Ambassador to Iran, Adnan Mahmoud, in attendance.
No details of the discussion were given. Velayati repeated the mantras of “Iran’s continuing support for the Syrian people and government in various fields until victory against terrorism is achieved” and “all plots against Syria have failed due to the Syrian people’s steadfastness, the army’s sacrifices, the wisdom of President Bashar al-Assad, and the support of allies and resistance forces”.
Mikdad proclaimed “one victory after another” by foreign forces and the regime’s military, with Iran’s support foiling plots serving US and Israeli interests.
Iran-Assad Opposition to Russia Over Idlib?
However, the Deputy Foreign Minister did give one important clue to substance, saying, “We in Syria reject the measures taken by Turkey in Idlib [Province in northwest Syria] and other areas, and demand that the Turkish occupying army withdraw from Idlib and the other areas.”
Despite joining a September agreement for a “de-escalation zone” in Idlib, almost all of which is held by the Syrian opposition, Iran has shown concern that the arrangement — as well as other zones across Syria — will establish a de facto partition leaving anti-Assad groups in control of some territory.
The Assad regime has not given up on its declared intention to overrun the opposition in Idlib, the Damascus suburbs, and parts of southern Syria. But Damascus and Tehran face the challenge of persuading Russia which, despite
Earlier this month, Turkey bolstered the zone with a show of military intervention, putting in some personnel. On Tuesday, the Turks brokered an agreement by the opposition Syrian National Council and 35 Free Syrian Army factions for a “national army”, with the first steps in November.
Velayati did not make any specific reference to the issue, just reiterating that “Iran will continue providing support to the legitimate governments in Syria and Iraq and will prevent any attempt to undermine their sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Both the Islamic Republic and the Assad regime are also worried about the establishment of an autonomous Kurdish region in north and northeast Syria. The prospect has been highlighted by the complete capture of Raqqa, ISIS’s central position in the country, by the Kurdish-led, US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces earlier this month.
Kurdish officials, headed by the Syrian Kurdistan Democratic Party (PYD), have announced a plan for elections culminating in the creation of a regional assembly in January.
