Tehran, Iran, Sept. 25
By Mehdi Sepahvand – Trend:
Things on all sides indicate that the collapse of “Islamic State” (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) is imminent, a former Iranian lawmaker and political expert says.
“On the ground, things are not like they used to be two years ago. At that time, the terrorists held much of Syria, but now they have lost so much ground and are limited to a small area,” Mohammad Saleh Jokar, former member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Iranian Parliament told Trend Sept. 25.
“The liberation of Aleppo as well as new inroads by the Syrian forces into Dayr al-Zawr have been key advancements,” the MP noted.
Last week, commander of Iran’s Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, who led Iran’s advisory mission in Syria and Iraq, said he expected the demise of IS in less than two months.
On Sept. 24, the Revolution Guards bombarded some IS positions in Syria using drones.
Iran’s anti-IS push found new momentum in June when the Guards fired six medium-range ground-to-ground ballistic missiles into IS bases in Dayr al-Zawr in retaliation for twin terrorist attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran, which killed 17 people and injured over 50 others.
On June 7, gunmen mounted almost simultaneous assaults on Iran’s Parliament and the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. IS claimed responsibility for the assaults.
Jokar went on to add that the gains of the Syrian government against terrorists and dissident groups are not limited to ground operations.
“There have been diplomatic advancements as well. The dissidents have also given way, and an atmosphere of understanding as a common ground has grown bolder.”
“Disagreements among countries that used to support the terrorists have also been of impact,” he said, adding, “All in all, we will hopefully see the collapse of IS in near future, much to the benefit of Syria and regional countries.”