Iran official:

US, Israel fuel crises in Mideast to sell more arms

Rasa - The United States and Israel seek the protraction of crises in the Middle East in order to be able to sell more weapons to regional countries, Iranian Parliament speaker's special advisor on international affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, says.

News ID: 430863

Date: 08 July 2017 - 23:04

RNA - During a meeting with Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud on Saturday, Amir-Abdollahian said efforts by Washington and the Tel Aviv regime to prolong “regional crises such as the continuation of [the Saudi] aggression against Yemen, threatening Syria with a military attack and the perpetuation of tensions in Riyadh-Doha relations are aimed at selling more weapons to the [countries of the] region.”

He added that the White House’s review of its policy on Syria shows a “change of tactics and not a change in the objectives of Syria’s enemies.”

Since the outset of the crisis in Syria more than six years ago, enemies have been seeking to oust the country’s legal President Bashar al-Assad, he said.

“Despite such a demand, the Syrian nation’s choice and determination will be the only path to determining Syria’s final fate and the Islamic Republic of Iran, since the beginning of this crisis, has emphasized on political dialogue and negotiations,” Amir-Abdollahian pointed out.

The Iranian official emphasized that Syria stands at the forefront of resistance against the Israeli regime and the fight against terrorism and that it plays an honorable role in this regard.

He pointed to the common stance between Iran and Russia on the Syrian issue and stressed the importance of continued cooperation among the three countries.

Syria has been hit by deadly foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. At Damascus’ request, Iran has been providing military advisory support to the Syrian military in its counterterrorism operations.

Russia has been also carrying out an aerial campaign in Syria in coordination with Damascus since September 2015 to further boost the Syrian military’s anti-terror fight.

Iran plays undeniable role in Middle East

The Syrian envoy, for his part, said Iran has a leading and undeniable role in the region and added that the US and its Western allies seek to undermine Iran’s regional influence.

Mahmoud noted that Tehran and Damascus have a close stance on many regional developments and said the Islamic Republic is playing a vital role in the battle against terrorism both in Syria and the entire region.

He emphasized that Iran, Syria and Russia must continue with consultations to help Damascus solve the ongoing crisis.

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