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Iran says political measures should be promoted to resolve Syrian crisis

Xinhua, June 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

Iran, Russia and Syria can activate their political capacities, along with military cooperation against terrorism, to achieve a comprehensive strategy to stop war and bloodshed in Syria, a senior Iranian security official said on Friday.

Ali Shamkhani, Iran's Secretary of Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), made the remarks in a meeting with the visiting Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij.

Shamkhani reiterated Iran's decisive support for Syria until the complete eradication of terrorist groups in that country, saying that "today, Syria is the battlefield of dangers which if not be dealt with, will spread its roots to all over the world."

He hailed what he termed as the "successes" of the Syrian army and the people in liberating various parts of the country from the terrorist groups.

He further criticized the "unconstructive" approach of the United States and its western and regional allies toward the Syrian crisis, saying that the U.S. approach in Syria seeks the security and interests of Israel.

The Syrian defense minister, for his part, commended Iran's all-out support for Syria in the fight against terrorism, saying "the Syrian government and nation will continue their fight against terrorism with unswerving determination."

Al-Freij deemed the trilateral meeting of Iran-Russia-Syria on countering terrorism in Tehran on Thursday as "highly successful" and "decisive", adding "the close coordination between the three countries at different levels will continue within the framework of new plans for cooperation."

Moreover, Press TV quoted Shamkhani as saying on Friday that the results of a trilateral meeting of the defense ministers indicate that the three countries are determined in countering the terrorist groups.

Moreover, Shamkhani thanked "the courageous actions and policies of Russian President (Vladimir Putin) and his effective support in the comprehensive fight against terrorism in Syria," according to Press TV.

"The only way to put an end to the current crisis in Syria is to go ahead with the dialogue among Syrians in order to arrive at the political initiatives which all the political parties in the country agree on," Shamkhani said.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu and Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Thursday to discuss further cooperation.

The meeting was aimed at exchanging views on the latest regional development and the ways to strengthen the fight against terrorism.

Iran and Russia have emerged as the major allies of the Syrian government in its struggle against the militant groups who are seeking the overthrow of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.

Since 2011, when the Syrian civil war began, more than 250,000 Syrians have been killed and millions of the Syrians have been displaced from their homes. Endit