Tehran, Iran, January 23
By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:
Despite what foreign media have been trying to show, it seems all of Iran’s wishes for Syria are coming true, Middle East Affairs Analyst Sabbah Zanganeh believes.
From the start, Iran focused on establishing ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid to the war-hit people, and opening a way for political talks between the conflicting sides in Syria, Zanganeh told Trend January 23.
“All of these are coming true. A ceasefire has been established which seems to be going to hold and even expand,” he said.
“Also, the talks have started, after so many years to bring opposition groups face to face with government representatives in a meeting attended by the United Nations.”
Syrian government and opposition representatives have gathered in Astana, Kazakhstan to discuss a political solution to the crisis. Iran, Russia, and Turkey are attending the talks as observers. Iran and Russia have been backing the Syrian government, only to be joined by Turkey in recent months.
While foreign media have been focusing on joint efforts by Russia and Turkey to lead political improvements over the ongoing Syrian crisis, some media outlets in Iran have expressed concern that Iran’s role in Syria is being neglected.
The concerns heightened after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov invited the US to the talks, underway now and to continue on January 24.
Meanwhile, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev and his Iranian counterpart Ali Shamkhani exchanged views over the ongoing crisis in Syria and a recent ceasefire in the Arab country over the telephone January 17.
The phone call took place on the same night as Syria’s Prime Minister Emad Khamis traveled to Tehran on Jan. 16.
Simultaneously on the diplomatic front, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov discussed the ceasefire which is the longest-lasting since unrests hit Syria in 2011.