TEHRAN – Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov have insisted on the importance of adopting a political strategy to settle the crisis in Syria.

During a meeting in Moscow on Monday, the officials said that applying military approach in Syria has proven futile.

Amir-Abdollahian and Bogdanov also condemned military attacks on Yemen and said that military actions will just complicate the situation in the country and spread terrorism to the Middle East region.

The two diplomats called on the UN to play more active role in stopping the killing of the Yemeni people.

Amir-Abdollahian said that continuation of attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque by Israel will bring about severe consequences for the Tel Aviv regime.

-----Assad should be part of any solution to Syrian war------

Addressing a press conference at Russia’s Rossiya Segodnya news agency later the day, Amir-Abdollahian said Iran and Russia will keep holding talks with the Syrian opposition to find a political solution to the deadly crisis in the country.

He also stressed that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad should be part of any solution to the crisis.

The senior Iranian diplomat said Tehran and Moscow are determined to use their full potential to help Syria out of the crisis.

He added that the foreign ministers of Iran and Russia are scheduled to discuss the Syrian crisis on the sidelines of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

Amir-Abdollahian arrived in Moscow on Monday morning to hold talks with Bogdanov on regional issues including the ongoing crises in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen as well as the fight against terrorism.

Iran and Russia, known as the main allies of Syria, have redoubled efforts in recent weeks to find a solution to the crisis that has plagued the country for more than four years.

Earlier in September, Amir-Abdollahian and Bogdanov in a telephone conversation underlined Iran and Russia’s support for finding political solutions to the ongoing crises in Syria and Yemen.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists, including militants from the ISIL terrorist group, currently controlling parts of it, mostly in the east.

More than 220,000 people have been killed in the four-year conflict that has driven 4 million refugees abroad.

NA/PA