Member of the Syrian Coalition Abdul-Hakim Bashar questioned the possibility of reaching a solution in the upcoming Geneva III talks “as the Assad regime and its Iranian ally have taken a strategic decision to continue their war against the Syrian people.” He said that “the downfall of the Assad regime means the collapse of the whole Iranian project in the region.”
In a panel discussion held yesterday on the internet under the title “A New Balance of Power in Syria between the Regime and the Opposition”, Bashar stated that the Syrian opposition agreed on the need for the departure of Assad at the beginning of the transitional period. Bashar added that the armed opposition, including the major rebel factions, has also agreed on this principle.
Snaberq Zahedi, head of the judiciary committee at the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and the defected Brigadier General Ahmad Rahal also participated in the discussion.
Bashar pointed out that “while the Iranian regime will try to play for time during the upcoming negotiations, the Russians will try to expedite the political solution process as they cannot fight a protracted war in Syria.”
Zahedi stressed that the failure of the Iranian regime to shore up the Assad regime is the main reason behind Russia’s aggression on Syria.
“It is known that the military balance before Russia’s intervention turned into rebels’ favor; especially in southern and central Syria. Assad’s heartland in the Syrian cost has become under direct threat following the fall of strategic areas in Idlib province to rebel fighters,” Zahedi said.
Zahedi added that “the new military dynamic was supposed to tip the balance of the battle in favor of the Assad and the Iranian regimes. However, dozens of generals and commanders in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and hundreds of their allied militias have already been killed in Syria.”
Brigadier General Ahmed Rahal pointed to “a strategic shift in the Russian policy in Syria. Russia’s intervention was initially aimed at helping the Assad regime retake the liberated areas, but now we see that Russia aims to cut off the rebels’ supply lines on the northern frontlines. Realizing that the Iranian and Assad forces have lost the will to fight, Russia has turned to diplomacy by holding an international conference on Syria.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
