Leader’s Adviser Optimistic about 4+1 Coalition’s Success in ISIL Fight
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A senior adviser to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei expressed optimism that the “4+1” coalition, comprised of Iran, Russia, Iraq, Syria and Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance Movement, would succeed in the fight against the ISIL terrorist group.
“I believe the quadripartite coalition, or the four plus one, namely Russia, Iran, Iraq, Syria and the Islamic resistance in Lebanon will succeed (in the fight on ISIL), and the possibility of success is much stronger today than the past,” Ali Akbar Velayati told Tasnim.
The senior official, who is also director of the Strategic Research Center of Iran's Expediency Council, described Iran as the major ally of Syria that has provided the highest degree of support for the Arab country over the past four and half years.
Since late September, Russia has been carrying out bombings against the ISIL terrorist group in Syria, after Russia's parliament granted President Vladimir Putin authorization to deploy the country's air force abroad.
Syria has been entangled in civil war since March 2011. The ISIL Takfiri group now controls parts of the Arab country, mostly in the east.
In the past four and half years, more than 240,000 people have died in Syria -overwhelmingly civilians- and around 4 million Syrian people are now refugees in other countries. Around 8 million others have been displaced internally.