Roundup: Iran urges political measures, coupled with military options, to resolve Syrian crisis

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, according to semi-official Mehr news agency 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 and 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."

In another meeting with the visiting Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, Shamkhani said that support for Syrian nation and government is for the cause of peace and stability in the Arab country, according to Mehr.

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

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.

The three countries of Iran, Russia and Syria will boost their military coordination in their fight on terrorists beside "activating political capacities more than before to achieve an all-inclusive solution in order to stop war and bloodshed" in Syria, Shamkhani stressed.

For his part, Shoygu said fighting terrorism is an international duty which all countries should work together to build a more secure world.

On Friday, Iranian defense minister said that the Islamic republic will continue its advisory support to Syria in its fight against terrorist groups.

Taking firm and decisive action against terrorism is among Iran's declared policies, Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said at a meeting with al-Freij, Tasnim news agency reported.

"Based on the request of the legitimate government of Syria, we regard supporting the people and government of the country as our duty," he was quoted as saying.

Iran's support to the Syrian government is aimed at establishing peace, stability and security in the Middle East region, he said.

For his part, al-Freij hailed Iran's continued support for the Syrian nation in its anti-terror campaign, and said such support would lead to the victory of the resistance against terrorists.

Shoygu and al-Freij arrived in Iran's capital Tehran on Thursday to discuss further cooperation with their Iranian counterpart against terrorist groups in the Arab state.

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