Iran Invited to Next Round of Syria Talks

Iran will be invited to join a multinational conference on Syria, State Department confirmed today. The talks will draw together the U.S., Russia and several European and Middle Eastern countries. The final list of attendees has not been announced yet.

U.S., Russia, Turkey and Saudi Arabia participated in the first round of talks last Friday. The next round, featuring Iran and other Arab and European countries, will be held on Friday in Vienna.

File photo: Secretary of State John Kerry (L) and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during the first round of Syria talks; Vienna, 23 October 2015 (Reuters)

Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif with Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, on 16SEP15 at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

According to bdnews24.com:

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif... arrived in Dhaka to brief Bangladesh’s leadership on the nuclear deal that the world powers struck with his country.

Zarif’s special flight from Beijing touched down at Shahjalal International Airport at around 12:30am on Wednesday.

His wife and high officials from the Iranian foreign ministry are accompanying him.

Foreign Secretary Md Shahidul Haque received him at the airport, a senior official told bdnews24.com.

Before his arrival, the foreign office in Dhaka said during his day-long visit, Zarif would call on President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and meet Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali.

Iran is grateful to Bangladesh for its support during the economic embargo and Ambassador Abbas Vaezi said in Dhaka on Sep 1 Iran survived with the help of its “brotherly countries like Bangladesh”.

He said Tehran was ready to reciprocate the favour in many ways and pointed out energy and power sector cooperation were the potential areas of cooperation.

Vaezi suggested Bangladesh discuss with India to get gas from a pipeline, once it was rolled out from Tehran via Pakistan.

He said Tehran could buy jute, clothes and agricultural products from Bangladesh, and export oil, natural gas and petrochemicals to it.

COMMENTARY: Following the signing of JCPOA in Vienna, Zarif has undertaken diplomatic trips to Syria, Lebanon, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, India, Russia, China and now Bangladesh.

While in Tehran, Zarif has received high ranking officials from France, Italy, United Kingdom, Austria, Syria, Iraq and Brazil.

Bangladeshi President Abdul Hamid with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, on 16SEP15 at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, on 16SEP15 at Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Photos: Islamic Republic News Agency

Iran’s Quds Force Entangled in Regional Wars – Report

Mission Creep?

The IRGC-Quds Force projects Iranian military power across the Middle East. But it has become entangled in protracted conflicts that are testing its limits, the Christian Science Monitor reports. To read the CSM report, please click here.

File photo: IRGC troops during a parade ceremony in 2008 in Tehran (Vahid Salemi/AP/CSM)

Khamenei Calls for Majlis Review of Nuclear Deal

If Sanctions Are Not Lifted Completely, Iran Will Only Suspend Its Nuclear Program - Khamenei

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei today backed a parliamentary vote on the nuclear deal, and demanded lifting of all sanctions before Iran dismantles any parts of its nuclear progarm.

“I believe, and I have said it to President (Rouhani), that it is not right to sideline the Majlis (Iranian parliament) on the (nuclear) deal,” Khamenei said. “I am not saying how the review should proceed or whether the lawmakers should approve the deal or reject it. It is up to them, as representatives of the people, to decide.” (IRNA, 3 September)

Khamenei made the remarks a day after President Obama gathered enough supporters in the United States Senate to veto an expected disapproval vote on the deal by Congress and sustain it.

In his speech today, Khamenei also said that as part of the deal sanctions should be lifted completely, and not just suspended.

“Sanctions imposed on Iran should be lifted and not only suspended… If not, then we will only suspend our nuclear activities,” Khamenei said. (IRIB/IRNA, 3 September)

The nuclear agreement, JCPOA, would suspend sanctions in phases as Iran complies with its commitments to dismantle/redesign different parts of its nuclear program, and will remove them completely upon full compliance by Iran of all its commitments. Khamenei’s call today for lifting of all sanctions completely before Iran makes concrete steps to dismantle/redesign parts of the program could probably bring about the collapse of the JCPOA.

Now the most likely course of action is for the Majlis to approve a revised version of the deal, incorporating Khamenei's conditions, which would probably not be acceptable to P5+1. Khamenei made his stance on the issue clear today, and the Majlis will be expected to follow him.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had earlier said that the Majlis review of the deal was not required or necessary and instead he had sent the agreement to the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) for review, where an approval was expected.

Photo credit: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei flanked by country’s senior leaders; Tehran, 3 September 2015 (Fars News Agency)

UK Reopens Embassy in Tehran

Nearly four years after protesters stormed the British embassy in Iran, triggering outrage in Britain and closure of the embassy, Britain is restoring its diplomatic presence in Tehran. 

UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond said he was “delighted” to be in Tehran for the reopening of the embassy. Hammond’s visit to Tehran is the first British ministerial visit in more than a decade.

Iran also reopened its embassy in London today, in a coordinated move reflecting improved relations between the two countries.

“Iran is, and will remain, an important country in a strategically important but volatile region. Maintaining dialogue around the world, even under difficult conditions, is critical,” Hammond said in a speech in Tehran marking the reopening of the embassy.

“Over the coming months, we will work to ensure that the nuclear agreement is a success, including by making sure that is fully implemented by all sides, and through this embassy’s efforts we will support British trade and investment, once sanctions are lifted. That will bring benefit for Britain and the Iranian people,” Hammond said. (CNN, 23 August)

Photo credit: UK Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond arriving at Mehrabad airport in Tehran to preside over the reopening of the British embassy; 23 August 2015 (Darren staples/Reuters)

Iran: ‘Axis of Resistance’ Should Block U.S. Influence in Region

Ali Akbar Velayati, Khamenei’s senior advisor for foreign affairs and former Iran’s foreign minister, said Sunday in Tehran that the "Axis of Resistance," which comprised of Iran, Syria and the Lebanese Hezbollah, should block U.S. influence in the region. Velayati said the duty of the Axis is “not only to fight against the dominance of foreigners in their countries, but also to cut the influence of the U.S. in the region.” (IRIB/Press TV, 16 August)

Velayati added that "mercenaries" are currently fighting in Muslim countries to materialize the goals of the United States. Velayati probably does not count Quds Force-led foreign Shia militias fighting in Syria to save Assad’s regime among the "mercenaries," nor is he probably counting the Iranians and Lebanese fighting in the country as foreigners. Velayati also did not address the issue of what has happened to the "Axis of Resistance" now that the Syrian government has lost control over most of the country.

Photo credit: Ali Akbar Velayati, Khamenei’s senior advisor, delivers a speech in Tehran; 16 August 2015 (IRIB/Press TV)

Iran, Turkey Broker Rare Truce in Syria

Syria’s warring parties declared a 48-hour ceasefire in two frontline areas on Wednesday after unprecedented mediation from Turkey and Iran, Reuters reported.

The ceasefire halted fighting in the rebel-held town of Zabadani between the insurgents on one hand and the Quds Force, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and Syrian army on the other. The truce also involves a pair of Alawite villages still controlled by the regime in Idlib countryside, al-Foua and Kefraya. The ceasefire could be extended to give time for ongoing negotiations aimed at evacuating civilians and combatants. (Reuters, 12 August)

Officials close to the Syrian regime have told Reuters that the truce was a result of mediation by Turkey, which backs the rebels, and Iran, which backs the regime. The truce began at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT) on Wednesday.

Zabadani is about 45 km (30 miles) northwest of Damascus and has been the focus of a weeks-long ferocious fighting between Iran-led coalition forces and the Syrian opposition.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif is in Damascus today to discuss Iran’s plans to end the seemingly unending conflict now at its fifth year.

File photo: Smoke rises after the government shelling of Old Aleppo’s Kadi Askar area, controlled by the opposition; 1 August 2015 (Abdalrahman Ismail/Reuters)
 

Zarif in Damascus

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Damascus today to discuss Iran’s four-point peace plan for seemingly an unending war now in its fifth year. As a sign of how troubling the situation has become, the Syrian air force carried airstrikes against the opposition in and around Damascus early Wednesday, just hours before Zarif’s plane landed at the airport. More than two dozen people were killed in today’s airstrikes. Zarif is scheduled to hold meetings with President Bashar al-Assad and other senior Syrian leaders.

Iran intervened militarily in the Syrian war from its beginning, deploying hundreds of Quds Force and IRGC officers and thousands of foreign Shia militias, including the Lebanese Hezbollah, to save the Assad’s regime. The Quds Force-led forces bear the brunt of fighting in Syria; especially in recent months after the anti-Assad forces scored significant victories against the Syrian Army. Zarif was in Beirut on Tuesday and met with Hezbollah’s secretary general Hassan Nasrallah.

Photo credit: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif (second from left) arriving in Damascus; 12 Auguast 2015 (Twitter)

Zarif in Beirut

Carrying A ‘New Plan’ to End Syrian Conflict

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Beirut today to discuss issues of mutual interest with the Lebanese prime minister and other senior officials, including a “new plan” on resolving the crisis in Syria, said Marzieh Afkham, Iran’s foreign ministry spokeswoman. IRNA, the Iranian official news agency, said that the plan will be discussed with the Syrian government in Damascus during Zarif’s visit on Wednesday. (IRNA/Reuters, 11 August)

The Iranian foreign ministry spokeswoman also said the Syrian war has no military solution and the conflict should be resolved politically. But Iran has been actively involved militarily from the beginning of the civil war in Syria. The Quds Force and foreign Shia militias under its command, including the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iraqi and Afghan militant organizations, bear the brunt of the fighting in support of Assad, especially after the Syrian Army faced serious setbacks by the opposition in recent months.

Iran also has extended billions of dollars in line of credit to Syria for Iranian arms and oil shipments, none of which has been repaid, with Damascus facing severe financial difficulties. Iran also spends billions of dollars on Hezbollah and other foreign militias deployed to Syria and hundreds of Quds Force advisers and IRGC specialists, and on costs of military operations in a long and seemingly unending war, now in its fifth year.

Photo credit: Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif attends a news conference at the Government Palace in Beirut; 11 August 2015 (Reuters)

Syrian FM in Tehran

Trilateral Meeting of Iran, Syria and Russia

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem arrived in Tehran on Tuesday to attend a trilateral meeting with the Iranian officials and Russia’s visiting special envoy. Moualem’s visit comes at a critical time for the Assad regime. After more than four years of intense fighting, Syria is practically disintegrated, portioned into areas of influence of the regime, the Islamic State, and various opposition groups. Assad is mainly in control of Damascus-Latakia corridor, less than 20 percent of what used to be Syria, with the opposition closing in on Latakia.

Iran’s support of Assad’s regime has been a key factor for its survival. A coalition of Lebanese Hezbollah and Afghan, Pakistani and Iraqi Shia militias under the command of Iran’s Quds Force have taken up the fight against the opposition at a time when the morale in the Syrian army and the government’s national guard (the NDF) must be at its lowest after suffering a string of losses to the opposition this year. The Quds Force role in the fight, coupled with tens of billions of Iranian and Russian economic and military aid to Assad, has prevented the collapse of the regime.

Discussions in Tehran on the future of the war in Syria could be very intense. Assad does not have many options left and last week all but conceded to a de facto partition of the country when he said publicly that his army could not fight everywhere and needed to focus on areas of crucial importance to the regime. Iran and Russia, at least for now, seem to have doubled down on Assad's chances of defeating the opposition and will probably push Moualem to turn around the situation on the ground, the worst for Assad since the start of the civil war in 2011. 

File photo: Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem (IRNA)

EU Foreign Policy Chief Mogherini in Tehran

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini arrived in Tehran today on a 24-hour visit to meet with senior Iranian government officials, including President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif. Moghirini was to discuss the implementation of JCPOA, the nuclear deal, with Iranian officials.

Rouhani and Zarif spoke during her visit on wider implications of the nuclear deal. Rouhani said the nuclear deal reached between Tehran and major world powers this month will “help fight terrorism and bloodshed in the Middle East.” Zarif said Tehran and the European Union could now discuss (other) questions “including energy cooperation… human rights, confronting terrorism, and regional issues.” (Reuters, 28 July)

“The agreement will be very important and influential for the future of relations in the region, Europe and the world,” Rouhani told Moghirini during their meeting. “It will help the fight against terrorism and stop war and bloodshed in the region.”

Zarif said at a joint news conference with Moghirini that they agreed to hold high-level EU-Iran talks on a wide range of issues including fighting terrorism.” (IRIB, 28 July)

Moghirini said regional and international cooperation with Iran “is very important to us.” On JCPOA, she said implementation of the agreement “depends on the political will, commitment and patience of all parties involved.”

File photo: EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini (AFP)