Iran’s Syria Proposal to Be Implemented in Coming Days: Official

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s political plan to settle the Syrian crisis will enter the implementation phase after consultations with Russian officials in the coming days,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said.

“The plan was presented to Mr. Bashar al-Assad (the Syrian president) during (Iranian Foreign Minister) Mr. Zarif’s trip to Damascus last month,” he noted, adding that Assad has welcomed Iran’s “constructive ideas” and offered certain constructive suggestions about it.

“We have agreed to have further talks with the Syrian foreign ministry team on the plan’s details,” Amir Abdollahian stated, but noted that the main framework and contents of the proposal have been agreed upon.

He explained that the plan is focused on people’s role, prevention of a power vacuum in Syria, fight against terrorism, aid delivery to the displaced, and dispatch of humanitarian aid to Syrian people.

“We consider this plan as contributory to the United Nations’ plan, and we are trying to prepare the grounds for its implementation using political mechanisms through our constant consultations with the UN secretary-general and his special envoy in Syrian affairs,” he went on to say.

What matters is that, once Iran’s plan is implemented, it is the Syrian nation who will decide, the Iranian official noted, adding, “Based on what will be agreed upon, we would witness a safe and peaceful Syria, where people would be able to decide the future of their country.”

Dismissing certain allegations about Iran’s withdrawal from its previous stances on Syria, he once again reaffirmed Tehran’s support for the legitimate Syrian president, saying that Iran attaches great significance to Mr. Assad’s role as the country’s president in Syria’s national unity and anti-terror campaign.

Last year, Iran proposed a four-part plan for finding a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria, which was welcomed by the UN. Iranian officials say that plan has now been updated.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011. In the past four years, more than 200,000 people have died in Syria -overwhelmingly civilians– and around 4 million Syrian people are now refugees in other countries. Another 7.6 million are displaced inside Syria.