Iran, Lebanon stress political solution for Syria crisis

Iran and Lebanon have stressed the need for a political solution to the ongoing crisis in Syria which has been the scene of deadly violence since 2011.
“Resolving the crisis in Syria would have a direct impact on the stability of the countries in the region, and the crisis has a political solution,” Lebanese President Michel Sleiman said in a meeting with Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of Iran’s Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Thursday.
Over 130,000 people have reportedly been killed and millions displaced due to the unrest in Syria.
The Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — have been supporting the militants operating inside Syria, according to reports.
Boroujerdi also emphasized political solution as the only way out of the crisis in Syria, saying, “Maintaining the political structure in Syria… has also a positive effect on the security and stability of Lebanon.”
The Iranian parliamentarian also condemned recent attacks on the Lebanese soil by the Israeli regime, saying the Tel Aviv regime is the main element of threat to security in the region.
On February 24, an Israeli airstrike hit a base belonging to Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah near the village of Janta on the Lebanon-Syria border.
Earlier on Wednesday, Hezbollah confirmed the Israeli air raid, vowing to retaliate against the attack.
Boroujerdi and Sleiman also discussed other developments in the region and ways for the further expansion of relations between Tehran and Beirut.