Since the outbreak of the terrorist war against Syria, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been a staunch ally for the legitimate Syrian government and the patriotic people of Syria. In spite of the increasing regional and international pressures, Iran's attitude remained as steadfast as ever, and Syria continued to be 1st priority for both the leadership and people of Iran.
Maraya International magazine met Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the Chairman for the Committee for Foreign Policy and National Security of the Islamic Consultative Assembly of Iran.
How do you assess the current political situation after 6 years of the terrorist war against Syria?
In the Name of God Most Gracious Most Merciful…
The 6-year war waged against Syria has been pre-planned by the United States and its allies; most notably the Zionist entity which, since its ominous inception in 1948, the Arab Armies suffered a series of defeats until the year 2000 where the Lebanese Resistance liberated large swaths in southern Lebanon, and achieved victory later in the 2006 war. The enemy came to a conclusion that all defeats they have suffered were due to the resilience and coordination between the Axis of Resistance i.e. Syria, Iran and Hezbollah. They wanted to break up this alliance by targeting Syria which acts as the ley link in this Axis.
Do you think Syria was capable of defeating such attempts?
Well, let me give you an example. We've been unwillingly drawn into a war for 8 years when we didn't have the simplest defensive means. However, a deeper look at Iran before and after that war will reveal a huge difference. Hence, we can say that the Syrian Army has been engaged in 6 years of real combat training, in addition to establishing a popular army to defend the Syrian cities and towns, which in turn greatly enhanced the capabilities of resilience. I am confident that Syria will emerge stronger than before in spite of the crippling economic challenges.
Recently, you have had several meetings with many senior Syrian officials, foremost among who is President Bashar Assad. How did you find the political scene after the liberation of Aleppo? And how did that victory change the facts on the ground?
The liberation of Aleppo has been extremely significant and symbolic. The enemy has invested all its military power to prevent such victory. However, the Syrian leadership, Armed Forces and people had the final word; let's not forget the support provided by the allied forces: Hezbollah, Iran and Russia.
Why is Iran's military presence in Syria still at minimum compared to Russia?
Let me ask you this question: why hasn't Yemen been yet fallen in spite of thousands of airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition on a daily basis? Why haven't the Yemeni people been yet defeated even though they haven't got the sufficient means of defense? In wars, the ground forces have the final word despite the importance of aerial support. On this particular regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran has perfectly fulfilled its part. In fact, all allies played key roles in achieving victories.
How much identical is the Russian-Iranian viewpoint on Syria?
From the very beginning, we've publicly announced that the solution in Syria must be a political one in the first place. We held on that idea and attended all the negotiations which had taken place in Moscow and Geneva. Today, we endorse Astana peace talks. Militarily speaking, we've set up a joint operation room which includes Syria, Russia, Iran and Iraq. We had several meetings to discuss political matters and exchange views whereby we agreed on the need to change the attitude of Turkey. This was evident in the Iraqi-Turkish negotiations which led to the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq. It's important to fight terrorism since it strikes all countries in the region.
Has Iran been invited to Astana peace talks?
The whole idea of Astana peace talks has emanated from the Iran-Turkey-Russia meeting which was held recently in Moscow. It has been agreed to hold a preliminary meting and carry on the consultations about the prospected peace talks. So it doesn't make sense to say that Iran hasn't been invited.
What do you expect from Turkey which has been supporting and funding terrorism for 6 years?
Turkey wasn't the only country to do so. The negative and destructive repercussions of this policy are clearly reflected inside Turkey. However, we are concerned of maintaining the security of this country. Iran was the first to condemn the failed coup d'état attempt against the legitimately-elected government. Turkey is a neighboring country and any internal disorder will eventually negatively affect Iran. The fact that we've been engaged in several negotiations before without reaching applicable and real results makes us skeptical about the upcoming Astana peace talks. Another reason for not being optimistic about that is the presence of Jabhet al-Nusra and ISIS; two terror groups that make up the backbone of opposition forces on the ground, which makes it impossible to negotiate with terrorists and eventually deter a political solution.
How does the Islamic Republic of Iran view President Assad especially in term of managing this years-old crisis?
The steadfastness and persistence of President Assad has greatly bolstered the Syrian society. Even when Damascus the capital was under serious threat from the terrorists, President Assad never relinquished his stances. Moreover, and based on the President's respect for the constitution and his people, parliamentary and presidential elections were held in parallel with militarily combating terrorism. At that time we were in Aleppo and saw how people flocked to vote.
What is your message to the Syrian people?
I'd say that resilience and steadfastness are the only way to overcome all challenges and difficulties they are going through now. Hopefully, with more cities and towns being liberated, more Syrians will return to their country after being displaced for years.
Interview by: Fadi Boudaya