Quds Force commander Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani has recently taken a trip to Aleppo and visited some parts of the southern suburbs of this province which is in control of the Syrian Army.
This trip has an important message for regional and international parties, as this is the first since the martyrdom of Lt. General Soleimani. The trip indicates Iran's continued support for the legitimate Syrian government and the Resistance Axis and Iran’s insistence on its presence in the fight against terrorism.
In an interview with Mehr News Agency, A member of the Syrian National Reconciliation Committee Omar Rahmon noted, “The new Quds Force commander’s visit to the southwestern suburbs of Aleppo shows Iran’s stance in its support for Syria in the fight against terrorism till the whole Syrian territory is freed. This is not a new issue and Iran had adopted the same position from the beginning. Some people assumed that after the martyrdom of Lt. General Soleimani we would witness a decline in Iran’s support, but the visit of Commander Ghaani suggests something else.”
Referring to the recent meeting of the Turkish and Russian presidents, he said, “The only outcome of the meeting was the ceasefire that Erdogan called for. He demands a ceasefire only to reorganize his defeated troops in Syria and receive US support for the rest of the battle in Idlib. Turkey’s strategy after the meeting with Moscow indicates the same plan because arms supplies and servicemen are still being dispatched to Idlib even after talks with the Russian officials.”
He further pointed to Erdogan’s aggression against the Resistance Axis in Syria and maintained, “Erdogan launched a series of attacks on the headquarters of the Iranian and Hezbollah forces in the southwestern suburbs of Aleppo with the aim of involving Iran in the battle of Idlib. He has not been able to persuade the Islamic and the Arab world, but he is pursuing this goal by spreading the rumor that he is fighting against the groups backed by Iran.”
“Erdogan is targeting the headquarters of the Resistance Forces to provoke a response from Iran and then receive the support of the Islamic and Arab world. However, this strategy is not working and no one believes in it,” he added.
Regarding the Astana Peace process, he said, “Due to widespread disagreement between Turkey and Russia, these meetings will not be successful and cannot resolve the issues. Previously, the differences were over one region or one village. But now it is over the presence of Turkey which will lead to major disputes between the two sides.”
The Syrian official referred to the collaborations between the Kurds and the Syrian army against Turkey and noted, “There has been no such cooperation so far and a number of meetings have been held to resolve differences between the two sides. In my opinion, all groups in Syria will unite to stand against Turkish aggression.”
Interview by Mohammad Mazhari
MNA/ 4874842