The head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Nasr al-Hariri, said that Russia continues to support the Assad regime militarily and does not have any intention to engage in the political process. He pointed out that Iran continues to seek to consolidate its influence and maintain a foothold in the country.
The political process in Syria has stalled as the Assad regime rejects all proposals for a political solution in Syria, Hariri told a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Tuesday.
He stressed that while Russia is talking about a political process in front of the international community, it uses various types of weapons against the Syrian civilians in Idlib province. He noted that the Commission refused to meet with Russian officials unless the bombing campaign in Idlib province stops.
Hariri said that the Assad regime and Russian forces are relentlessly bombing civilians in Idlib and rural Hama, mainly targeting children, women and the elderly. He said that the bombing campaign has caused a humanitarian disaster in northwestern Syria.
Hariri said that the Assad regime and its allies’ ongoing military operations have so far killed 900 Syrians, including 210 children; forced more than half a million people out of their homes; and destroyed the infrastructure, hospitals, civilians homes, and bakeries.
As for the Iranian intervention in Syria, Hariri pointed out that Tehran is still seeking to increase its influence in the country by penetrating the Syrian state institutions, especially the security services and the army. He noted that Iran has already incorporated its militias into the Assad regime’s army.
Moreover, Hariri went on to say that Iran is continuing to spread Shiism in the Syrian society, stressing that there can be no political solution in Syria without the withdrawal of Iran.
“We will not accept any solution that allows Iran to maintain its military presence in our country. We are determined to reverse all what Iran did to the social fabric in Syria,” Hariri said.
Hariri also said that Iran is now threatening international and regional peace and security, citing Iran’s recent targeting of oil tankers in the Arabian Gulf.
Hariri called on the Lebanese political blocks to distance themselves from Hezbollah, Iran and the Assad regime, and to stand by the Syrian people against the regime that once killed them on the streets of Lebanon. (Source: Syrian Coalition’s Media Department)
