DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Al Assad has said that his country could defeat “all terrorists and their backers” after terrorist-led rebels claimed to have seized dozens of towns and overran most of Syria’s second city of Aleppo.
“Syria continues to defend its stability and territorial integrity in the face of all terrorists and their backers, and it is capable, with the help of its allies and friends, of defeating and eliminating them, no matter how intense their terrorist attacks are,” his office quoted him as saying.
Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday he will leave Tehran for Damascus to deliver a message of support for Syria’s government and armed forces, state media said.
“I am going to Damascus to convey the message of the Islamic Republic to the Syrian government,” Araghchi said, emphasising Tehran will “firmly support the Syrian government and army,” the IRNA state news agency reported.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani told Al Assad on Saturday that his country’s security was key to the stability of the whole region.
“Sudani emphasised that Syria’s security and stability are closely linked to Iraq’s national security and play a crucial role in regional security and efforts to establish stability in the Middle East,” his office said.
Russia discusses ‘dangerous’ escalation with Iran, Turkey
Following the developments, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held phone calls with his Iranian and Turkish counterparts on Saturday expressing concerns over the “dangerous” escalation of hostilities in Syria, Moscow said.
Rebel fighters began an offensive against Syria’s Iranian and Russian-backed government earlier this week, prompting Moscow to launch air strikes in aid of its ally.
Lavrov held separate calls with his Turkish and Iranian counterparts a day after Russia announced the military action.
He and Turkish top diplomat Hakan Fidan “expressed serious concern” and affirmed the need to “coordinate joint action to stabilise the situation”, the Russian foreign ministry said in its readout of the call.
In a call with Araghchi, both sides expressed “strong support” for Syria’s sovereignty and called for “joint efforts aimed at stabilising the situation”, the ministry said.
Moscow Al Assad’s most important military backer, having turned the tide of the civil war in his favour when it intervened in 2015.
The United States, meanwhile, said Al Assad 'lost control of Aleppo' because of his reliance on Russia and Iran.
Syria’s “reliance on Russia and Iran,” along with its refusal to move forward with a 2015 peace process outlined by the UN Security Council, “created the conditions now unfolding,” National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.
He added: “At the same time, the United States has nothing to do with this offensive, which is led by Hay’at Tahir al-Sham (HTS), a designated terrorist organisation.”
