Amir-Abdollahian meets his Syrian counterpart in Tehran

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and visiting Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal al-Mekdad met in Tehran on Wednesday.

According to reports, Amir-Abdollahian said a trilateral summit held among Iran, Russia, and Turkey in Tehran on Tuesday tried to discourage the prospect of war and militarism so “issues can be resolved through the political course.”

He said a trilateral summit held among Iran, Russia, and Turkey in Tehran on Tuesday tried to discourage the prospect of war and militarism so “issues can be resolved through the political course.”

“We hope that these pieces of advice that were emphasized by the heads of state attending the summit are heeded by the authorities of the friendly and brotherly country Turkey” so Damascus and Ankara would be able to cross this stage in the absence of any confrontation, the FM added.

Turkey has carried out several incursions against neighboring Syria’s northern parts since 2016 to target the Kurdish militants known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

The FM said in his joint presser that his country lays emphasis on the importance of preservation of Syria’s territorial sovereignty and integrity.

“The issue of fighting terrorism, building Syria’s future based on the will all of the country’s people, and protection of the Syrian nation’s rights in the absence of all foreign interference” are among the top priorities that are being pursued by the Islamic Republic, the official said.

US occupation of Syria

Turning to the issue of the United States’ ongoing invasion of Syria, Amir-Abdollahian said the eastern side of the Euphrates River, where the American occupation forces have set up a presence, was among the West Asian country’s “most fecund areas.”

The Eastern Euphrates hosts some of Syria’s main sources of oil and energy, he said, adding, “Unfortunately, we have been witnessing the plunder of Syria’s natural resources in the areas that are occupied by the United States.”

“We believe that the US’s military forces should leave Syria’s soil immediately and unconditionally,” he said, asserting that the Syrian people and armed forces were “capable and competent” enough to protect their security and territorial integrity.

Amir-Abdollahian also addressed the issue of the Israeli regime’s repeated rounds of aggression against Syria, which Damascus considers to be aimed at supporting terrorists.

“Today, the Zionist regime is in its worst situation,” he said, considering the regime’s sporadic attacks against Syria to be aimed at “covering up its multi-layered [areas of] weakness and the internal crises that the Zionist regime is facing.”

The region, he said, would not stay “indifferent” towards such disruptive efforts on the part of the Israeli regime. “None of the Israeli regime’s actions has remained unanswered,” he added.

For his part, the Syrian official expressed gratitude toward Iran for hosting the trilateral summit. “[Syrian President] Bashar al-Assad has tasked me with sending his best regards to Leader of the Islamic Revolution [Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] and [Iranian President] Mr. Raeisi,” he said.

The official appreciated the summit’s final statement, through which, the threesome states insisted that there were no military solutions to the Syrian conflict, and underlined their resolve to continue their cooperation in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

‘Syria-Turkey conflict favors US, Israel’

Mekdad, meanwhile, said “nothing can threaten Syria’s independence and sovereignty,” adding that breaching the West Asian country’s borders “carries no benefits for either Turkey or others.”

Damascus, he said, was against “Turkification” policy of Ankara and its support for anti-Syria terrorists.

“This will lead to conflict between the Syrian and Turkish governments and will [adversely] affect the friendly and brotherly countries’ [relations],” he said. “This is exactly what America and Israel want.”

The top Syrian diplomat, however, said, “We are prepared to defend our nation’s freedom and will not back down from this.”

Mekdad also pointed to the plunder of Syria’s resources by the US, saying Washington was helping itself to resources while it has brought the Syrian people under draconian sanctions.

“What right does the US have to loot our wealth … [while] the Syrian people are suffering under sanctions,” he said.

The US, though, would not be capable of realizing its goal of “disintegrating Syria,” the Syrian official said. “Every bit [of soil] that rests on Syria’s northwestern and northeastern areas would [eventually] return to the country.”

SS