Iran:

Presence in Syria Not Depending on Other Party's Consent

Rasa - Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Jaberi Ansari said that Iranian armed forces are in Syria at the request of the Syrian government and based on the already reached agreements and it does not depend on any other regional or international sides' agreement.

News ID: 431029

Date: 16 July 2017 - 21:09

RNA - Jaberi Ansari made the remarks in Tehran on the sidelines of a meeting with Russian President Putin's Special Envoy for Syria Affairs Alexander Lavrentiev on Saturday.

To a question on an agreement between the US and Russia for establishment of ceasefire southwest of Syria and that whether the agreement concerned Iranian forces' presence in the region as well, Ansari said Iran’s presence in any form or level in the Syrian crisis has been on the request of the Syrian government and the already signed mutual agreements.

He said it does not depend on any other regional or international sides' agreement.

Ansari added that others' agreement, if any, in connection with Iran would have no practical or effective result with regards to Iran’s presence.

He said Iran was not basically interested in interfering widely in Syrian crisis and 'we have on a limited and well-calculated manner and upon the request of and agreement with the Syrian government arranged our presence in Syria and the presence has been in line with restoration of stability and tranquility in Syria and speedy end to the crisis.'

Also, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani underlined the necessity for respecting the countries' territorial integrity, and voiced Tehran's firm opposition to any agreement which paves the ground for Syria's disintegration.

"No agreement should harm Syria's sovereignty or pave the ground for its disintegration and this is an unchangeable principle," Shamkhani said in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Special Envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev in Tehran on Saturday.

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