Global Geopolitical Series: Leaders lash out at U.S. presence in Syria during Tehran summit

Leaders are lashing out at the United States during their discussions in Tehran, where Iranian president Hassan Rouhani is hosting a trilateral summit today with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan which could seal the fate of Idlib, the last rebel-held province in Syria, which is reportedly home to millions of Syrian people. Over the past few weeks, the Syrian army, loyal to President Bashar al Assad has been preparing to attack the province. Russian air force has started bombing the rebel positions in Idlib, which sets the course for a full-fledged attack by the army. President Trump has weighed in on Idlib issue this week on Monday by tweeting, “President Bashar al-Assad of Syria must not recklessly attack Idlib Province. The Russians and Iranians would be making a grave humanitarian mistake to take part in this potential human tragedy. Hundreds of thousands of people could be killed. Don’t let that happen!” and later by doubling down on his warning saying that the United States is watching closely and will be angry if reckless actions take place during his welcoming conference with Amir of Kuwait.

Speaking at the Summit, the Turkish president Erdogan said that this Tehran summit is the last chance to resolve the Idlib situation in Syria peacefully. Turkey has been opposed to a direct attack on Idlib as many rebel factions over there are loyal to the country, which has 12 military observation post in the region.

However, the Iranian leader, Mr. Rouhani cleared his position saying that he remains in favor of an attack as the very presence of Jihadist groups in the region warrant an attack to stabilize the region. Russia also remains in favor of an attack as according to Kremlin the province is used as a base to conduct military operations against Russia force in the region.

The leaders also lashed out at the United States over its presence and activities in Syria. Mr. Erdogan said that the three-nation should pay attention to the U.S. arming of rebels which is one of the major causes of instability in the region. He added that arming Kurdish militias pose a national security threat to Turkey as the Syrian Kurds are widely considered as terrorists by Ankara. He further added, “East of the River Euphrates, events are happening that concern us. Terrorists are trying to establish a foothold there with the help of foreign powers and stay there forever. We are very concerned with the attempts by the United States to empower and support those terrorist organizations.” President Rouhani also called for an immediate end to the American and Israeli presence in Syria, “In accordance with international resolutions and the demands of the Syrian people, the Israeli occupational regime must immediately leave occupied Syrian territories”.

President Putin confirmed that the top priority is to now drive out the terrorists from the region.