Deputy FM: Some Parties Seek to Prolong Syria Crisis

An Iranian deputy foreign minister said some parties in the Syrian conflict see the continuation of the military approach in Syria as beneficial to their political interests.

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the deputy foreign minister for Arab and African affairs, made the statement in a meeting with Staffan de Mistura, the UN special envoy for Syria, in the Swiss city of Geneva on Friday.

Ansari underlined the political resolution of the conflict in Syria, Press TV reported.

He said a correct understanding of the problem and consensus among influential players in Syria on general issues are prerequisites for the political resolution of the conflict.

Commenting on the collapse of a ceasefire brokered by Russia and the United States in Syria, the senior diplomat said a central provision of the agreement was to separate armed groups from those of al-Nusra Front, which has recently renamed itself Jabhat Fateh al-Sham. "That did not happen in practice; to the contrary, we witnessed armed group uniting and joining al-Nusra," he said.

Referring to the humanitarian, security and political aspects of the crisis in Syria, Ansari said, "The humanitarian issue remains the most urgent dimension of the crisis and serious attention is necessary to find a solution to avert a humanitarian disaster."

  Pivotal Role

De Mistura referred to Iran's "pivotal role" in the Middle East and described the Islamic Republic as an "important and influential" country in attempts to help resolve the Syrian crisis.

He said the UN has a clear definition of terrorism and recognizes the self-styled Islamic State, al-Nusra and other Al-Qaeda-linked groups as terrorist groups as per UN Security Council resolutions.

Also on Friday, Ansari met Manuel Bessler, the head of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit in Geneva. During the meeting, Ansari referred to humanitarian aspects of the ongoing crises in the Middle East and said efforts to resolve the Syrian conflict will not have definitive results, if political concerns and the fight against terrorism are not taken into consideration.

The deputy foreign minister stressed the importance of measures to avert a humanitarian crisis in Syria, calling for continued cooperation between Iran and Switzerland to help alleviate the miseries of the Syrian people. Ansari also pointed to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Yemen, urging Switzerland to facilitate humanitarian aid to Yemenis.

Bessler voiced his country's readiness to bolster cooperation with Iran and facilitate humanitarian assistance to Syria. He added that Switzerland attaches high importance to Yemen, expressing regret over the bombardment of hospitals, schools and civilian regions in the impoverished country.

Saudi Arabia has been bombarding Yemen indiscriminately since March 2015 to reinstate fugitive president, Abd-Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.