Iran Should Be Part of Syria Solution: US Official


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – US State Department Spokesman John Kirby has acknowledged that Iran should be part of any solution to the Syrian crisis, a report said.

“At some point ... we know there's going to need to be a conversation with Iran toward the end of a political transition there," Kirby told reporters on Monday following talks in Vienna on Friday between US Secretary of State John Kerry and counterparts from Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey on a political settlement in Syria, Reuters reported.

He added that further diplomatic discussions on ending the Syrian conflict could occur as soon as the end of this week.

“It (the political settlement) is gonna take some time, and it will, inevitably, involve some compromises by everybody, as we get there,” Kirby added.

Syria has been in a state of civil war since 2011. Syrian army has been fighting several opposition factions and numerous militant groups, including ISIL.

On September 30, Russia began precision airstrikes on ISIL positions in Syria at the request of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Since the beginning of the air campaign, Russian Aerospace Forces have carried out some 830 strikes, killing several hundred militants and destroying dozens of command centers, and depots used by the terrorists.