Shamkhani: No Substitute for Syrian Reconciliation

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani congratulated the Syrian Army on the full liberation of the city of Aleppo.

On Tuesday, Shamkhani stated that the Syrian government's strategy to give the remaining militants safe passage from east of Aleppo was a key move toward reducing human casualties and further destruction of the city that can be used as a crisis management strategy in other regions, Press TV reported. Hailing the Syrian nation's heroic resistance and historic victory against terrorism sponsored by western and regional states, Shamkhani reiterated Iran's stance on seeking a diplomatic solution for the Syrian crisis.

"Military victories cannot replace political solutions based on talks between the Syrian government and armed groups aimed at national reconciliation," he said.

Shamkhani added that Syrian forces emerged victorious in Aleppo despite all the propaganda against them.

Earlier, Russia's UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin announced that fighting in Aleppo has come to an end and that the Syrian government has established control over the entire city. Less than a month ago, the Syrian Army started a wholesale push to drive the militants out of their stronghold in the city's eastern side, making great strides in the process.

Since March 2011, Syria has been hit by militancy it blames on some western states and their regional allies.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the UN have put the death toll from the Syria conflict at more than 300,000 and 400,000, respectively. This is while the UN has stopped its official casualty count in Syria, citing its inability to verify the figures it receives from various sources.