Velayati: Iran to Continue Supporting Syrian People, Leadership against Terrorism

TEHRAN- Ali Akbar Velayati, the Senior Advisor of the Leader of the Iranian Revolution for Internal Affairs, has reiterated his country’s support for the Syrian people and leadership in the fight against terrorism.

Velayati told reporters on Saturday that Iran will take part in Vienna2 round of talks on Syria, but his country will uphold its red lines in this meeting, according to Iranian Mehr news agency.

He reiterated Iran’s highly principled position about the crisis in Syria and asserted that Iran’s participation in Vienna2 would not constitute Iran’s concessions about Syria; “our support for Syria is motivated by a host of factors: terrorists and extremists, which have fueled the fire of war in Islamic world; they have killed thousands of people with support coming from the US, Zionists, and the reactionary regimes of the Gulf; we spare no option in helping situation in Syria, including political support,” he told reporters.

“In Geneva-I and II, the organizers did not welcome participation of Iran, and if they did, they set preconditions which we declined; now after 5 years of resistance, they came to conclusion that without Iran, a political solution would not be devised for Syria, and Syrian government and army has the upper hand in the field,” Velayati emphasized.

“No player has the right to interfere in Syrian internal affairs other than its people, and in talks about Syria, Syrian parties to the talks are critical in fashioning a solution,” he added.

Velayati affirmed Iran’s policy that any plan setting aside Syrian government despite its successful battle in defending the rights of its people, from political process, will be unacceptable by Iranian standards.

Replying a question on Iran’s support for Syria, he said “Syria has been a close ally to Iran since the Revolution and it plays a great role in frontlines of the resistance; given that the grand policy of Iran is to support resistance, we should support Syria and Palestinian movements to secure the resistance. The Zionists have a grand plan to the region as from ‘Nile to Euphrates,’ which would satiate their lust for territorial expansion; we detect the threat as genuine threat to our borders,” he emphasized.

Hamda Mustafa