During his visit, he will raise “Iran’s new plan to help solve the Syrian issue”, Marzieh Afkham said.
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Officials close to Damascus described the truce as the result of mediation by Turkey, which backs rebels fighting against President Bashar al-Assad, and Iran, whose support has been vital to his survival, Reuters reported earlier on August. 12.
The truck video, which unveiled an arms shipment under the auspices of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) to warring sides in Syria, caused a political storm in Turkey, prompting the government to file a complaint against the editor-in-chief of the daily. He is also likely to have meetings with Chemical and Fertilizer Minister Ananth Kumar, Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Minister of State for Petroleum Dharmendra Pradhan.
Zarif arrived in Beirut on Tuesday for a two-day visit.
Iran’s role in backing al-Assad, who belongs to the Alawite minority, an offshoot of Shiite Islam, has infuriated the Syrian opposition, who are unlikely to welcome an Iranian initiative regardless of its content.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesman had said a new Iranian peace plan was based on “respect for the Syrian people’s legitimate right to reforms and to decide their own future”.
More than 250,000 people have been killed in over four years of conflict in Syria and over 4 million people have fled the country, according to UN estimates.
“We demonstrated that the use of force and sanctions can not resolve regional conflicts”, he remarked, while noting that countries in the region now have the opportunity to adopt such an approach.
In addition to his talks on the deal, Zarif is expected to discuss with the Lebanese officials ways to improve bilateral economic cooperation, the sources said.
Hezbollah (Party of Allah), which was created by the Iranian regime with the expressed goal of turning Lebanon into a “graveyard for Jews”, according to Nasrallah, is classified by the United States as a terrorist organization.
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Hezbollah and Syrian troops have been trying to fully capture the one-time rebel stronghold of Zabadani for more than a month. The observatory, without specifying whether the raids or attack on Damascus came first, said at least 13 people, among them 10 civilians, were killed as more than 50 rockets slammed into Damascus.
