Syria, Iran, Russia Discuss Promoting Fight against Terrorism

TEHRAN-Syria, backed by its friends’ political, military and economic support, will continue to fight terrorism everywhere in Syria, Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij has stressed.

Al-Freij made the remarks in a tripartite meeting between the Defense Ministers of Syria, Iran and Russia in Tehran on Thursday dedicated to discuss issues related to combating terrorism in Syria and the region.

 “For over five years Syria has been confronting Takfiri terrorism led by the US which exerted immense efforts to fight Syria, making it imperative for us to confront terrorism,” Al-Freij said, according to SANA.

He expressed appreciation for the support of the Iranian and Russian friends, voicing confidence in Syria’s victory over terrorism which will mark an end of terrorism in the entire region.

Al-Freij described the results of an earlier meeting he held with his Russian counterpart Sergey Shoigu as “excellent”, adding that a recent array of measures is expected to yield even better results.

Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan, for his part, said Iran has always been a supporter of dialogue among the Syrians for resolving the crisis, noting that Iran agrees to a ceasefire which has the necessary guarantees and will not lead to the strengthening of the terrorists operating in this country.

Dehqan further called for “a firm fight” against all terrorist groups without making exceptions as well as a halt in the flow of foreign aid to the Takfiri outfits operating in the country.

However, he added that such anti-terror battles must go hand in hand with efforts on the diplomatic front with the aim of setting the stage for the Syrian nation to decide its own political future in peace.

He criticized the claims of the US and Saudi Arabia about backing “moderate opposition” which he said is in fact a covert support for terrorists, lashing out at countries claiming to be upholding human rights but remain silent over appalling crimes committed by terrorists against innocent Syrians, Iraqis and Yemenis.

The Iranian minister condemned the alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia and their joint actions in support of terrorism. “Forging an alliance with the arch-foe of Muslims and humanity; the Israeli enemy, will bring about dire consequences for the Saudi leaders which will prove too grave a strategic fault for the peoples of Muslim nations, the region and the world to handle,” he warned.

The Syrian defense minister and his Russian counterpart said their viewpoints were identical regarding the necessity of bolstering their joint counterterrorism efforts, calling for more coordination against this ominous phenomenon.

Shoigu said terrorism is a problem jeopardizing the entire world which necessitates high-level coordination against it, disclosing that intensive meetings were held with the Syrian side in which future goals and plans were outlined.

Earlier, Minister al-Freij held a session of talks with his Iranian counterpart that focused on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern.

During the meeting, al-Freij slammed US and Turkish support for terrorists, adding that some Gulf States speak of fraternal ties binding them with the Syrian people as they overtly patronize terrorist organizations committing heinous crimes against Syrians.

He vowed that the Syrian state is determined to eliminate terrorism with the help of friends and allies.

For his part, the Iranian minister said Iran is supporting Syria at the request of the Syrian legitimate government, hoping that the axis of resistance will continue to score significant wins.