Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday (January 28) that defeating “terrorism” had to be Syria’s main priority problem, not who is leading the war-ravaged country.
Rouhani said that the main issue in the devastating five-year war in Syria was the threat from the Sunni militant group Islamic State and their supporters, and not Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
“The problem today in Syria and the region is not a question of ‘this person’ or ‘that person’. The main problem is terrorism; it’s the problem of Daesh (Islamic State); (it’s) those who are buying petrol from these terrorist groups; those who are giving weapons to these groups; those who are providing political support to terrorist groups,” he said when asked whether he was ready to compromise on the future of Assad.
Shi’ite Muslim Iran is the strongest ally of President Bashar al-Assad, while European countries back his mainly Sunni Muslim opponents, and want the Syrian leader to step aside.
Speaking at a news conference with his French counterpart Francois Hollande in Paris, Rouhani also affirmed that Iran would keep to commitments it made under a nuclear agreement with major powers, but that those on the other side would also have to keep their end of the bargain.
Rouhani has been in Paris to revive business ties with France despite diplomatic differences.
France took a hard line in the nuclear negotiations and was outspoken in its condemnation of Iranian support for Assad.
Paris has been a key backer of Syrian opponents to Assad. It has been advising them ahead of the talks with the government in Geneva that had been due to begin on Friday (January 29). (Reuters)
