Syria Army in Constant Coordination with Iran, Russia: MP

In an interview with Tasnim, Mohanad al-Haj said the Syrian army is in constant coordination with its allies, Iran and Russia.

While plans for conducting operations in the field are coordinated among the military commanders, the strategic roadmap to cooperation is decided by the political leaders, the MP added.

As regards the recent meeting between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Sochi, the lawmaker said their talks were not limited to (a committee tasked with drafting) the Syrian constitution, but also included an assessment of the military conditions in Syria.

The meeting between Assad and Putin was also aimed at setting priorities of the next stage, Haj explained, saying that given the Russian president’s comments about Kalibr missiles and the destroyers stationed in east of the Mediterranean, those priorities seem to relate to the city of Idlib.  

The Syrian president met with Putin in Sochi on May 17. The two leaders had last met in December 2017.

Assad's brief visit to Sochi was announced by the Kremlin after the Syrian president had returned to Damascus.

Putin has reportedly congratulated Assad on the start of the holy month of Ramadan and praised the “major success of the Syrian Government Army in the struggle against terrorist units,” describing recent military efforts as “important steps toward the further consolidation of the legitimate government.”

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with various terrorist groups, including Daesh (ISIS or ISIL), fighting against its central government.

In the meantime, Iran has remained a close ally of Syria and supported its legitimate government in the face of foreign-backed militancy.