Iranian and Syrian Foreign Ministers Address Resurgence of Radical Groups

Tehran, Nov 30 (NationPress) Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi engaged in a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh, discussing the current situation in Syria, according to Iran's state-operated IRIB TV.

During this dialogue on Friday, Araghchi condemned the resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria as part of a US-Israeli "plot" following difficulties faced in Lebanon and Palestine, reiterating Iran's commitment to support the Syrian nation, government, and armed forces in their battle against terrorism to uphold regional security and stability, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Sabbagh, in response, stated that the Syrian nation and government are resolute in their efforts to defend themselves and will continue to thwart the endeavors of terrorists and their backers to achieve their goals.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) rebel faction, along with allied groups, has initiated a significant assault on Syrian military positions in the Aleppo and Idlib provinces starting Wednesday, leading to numerous casualties, including a senior official from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the capture of several towns.

Earlier on Friday, the Syrian army proclaimed that its forces had successfully countered the extensive offensive by HTS in the rural areas of Aleppo and Idlib, asserting that they inflicted severe losses on the rebel faction and caused hundreds of casualties among the terrorists.

In May 2017, Russia and Iran, allies of the Syrian government, established a memorandum with Turkey, a significant supporter of the Syrian opposition, to create de-escalation zones in Aleppo and Idlib.

In September 2018, a stabilization memorandum for Idlib was negotiated by Russia and Turkey. However, intermittent conflicts continue to arise in the province.