Syrian Deputy FM: Iran, Russia Helping Syria Withstand Terrorism


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad stressed that Iran and Russia’s continued support for Syria in its battle against Takfiri terrorists has boosted the Arab country’s steadfastness and resistance.

Russian airstrikes against the positions of the Takfiri terrorists have debunked the so-called US coalition against the ISIL, Mikdad said in an interview with Iran’s al-Alam news agency.

Noting that the US has never been serious in its fight against Daesh (ISIL), the Syrian deputy foreign minister said that the coalition was created by Washington to mainly serve the interests of its stooges, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

Elsewhere in the interview, he touched upon the issue of resolving the country’s ongoing crisis through diplomatic solution and emphasized, “The others have to understand that Syria will not sacrifice its sovereignty and independence under any condition.”

“We will not accept any solution where any of these fundamental elements is not safeguarded,” Mikdad added.

Since late September, Russia has been carrying out bombings against the ISIL terrorist group in Syria, after Russia's parliament granted President Putin authorization to deploy the country's air force abroad.

Back on October 1, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham voiced the country’s support for Russia’s attacks against Takfiri terrorists in Syria.

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.