TEHRAN – In a meeting with Syrian Parliament Speaker Hadiya Khalaf Abbas in Tehran on Tuesday President Hassan Rouhani renewed Tehran’s support for the war-torn Syria, saying any attempt to redraw regional borders will not be in the best interests of the region.  

“Preserving the territorial integrity and unity of all regional countries is a basic principle of” of the Islamic Republic, Rouhani stressed. 

“Tehran feels called upon to help contain terrorism and restore security to the region and believes that redrawing borders will never be in the region’s interests,” he added.  

The war in Syria, now five years on and fought by many sides, has reduced the country to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands of the Syrian people killed and injured, and millions displaced. 

The battle, particularly in the Aleppo battlefield, continues to “deteriorate to new heights of horror,” according to UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura. 

Rouhani says, “Tehran feels called upon to help contain terrorism and restore security to the region and believes that redrawing borders will never be in the region’s interests.”   Hailing the resistance of the Syrian people, Rouhani underscored that the terrorists have to be forced out of Syria and for this to happen, the Syrian people should be assisted. 

“Iran believes that the Syrian people should be helped to force the terrorists out of their country.” 

As of the very beginning of the unrest in Syria, and later on as the situation turned bloody by various militant groups, Iran has been assisting Damascus in its war against terrorism. 

Iran a key backer of Syria in all areas, Hadiya Khalaf Abbas says 

Syrian Parliament Speaker Hadiya Khalaf Abbas, for her part, called relations between Iran and Syria “friendly and brotherly,” saying Iran has remained a strong backer of Syria in all situations. 

“Relations between Iran and Syria are historical, friendly, and brotherly, and we will attempt to expand and boost all-encompassing ties with Iran,” she said. 

Scratching the surface of the peace negotiations and the latest developments in her country, the top lawmaker underscored the role of the people in what will happen to Syria. 

“We believe only the Syrian people can decide over the future of the country, and world powers and the U.S. (in particular), if seeking ever to help the Syrian people, must help to contain terrorism, which is a threat to the entire world.” 
 

AK/PA