Supreme Leader’s Aide: World Needs Assad to Save Syria

Iranian Supreme Leader’s top adviser for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati blasted certain western and regional states for attempts to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and said Assad is the only one to save Syria.
Velayati made the remarks after meeting with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo in Tehran on Monday.

“We discussed the issue that settling the crisis in Syria is not possible militarily and can only be resolved through political means,” he told reporters, elaborating on the contents of his talks with Garcia-Margallo.

Velayati blasted certain regional and western states’ interference in Syria as the main contributor to “instability in Syria”, reminding that Iran has repeatedly underlined the necessity for the ruling of an independent government in Syria if the world does not want to have another Libya.

“Yet, some countries persisted in overthrowing Bashar Assad, which was a mistake and the world is now facing its repercussions,” he added.

Noting that militants from 80 world states are fighting in Syria, Velayati said, “No one can save Syria from this situation like Assad and the UN Security Council members as well as the neighboring and regional states should try to find a solution.”

In relevant remarks today, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on supporters of terrorist groups in Syria to stop their attempts to overthrow the Arab country’s legal president, and expressed regret that their stubborn insistence on toppling President Assad has blocked peace and tranquility in the country.

“Those who have set a condition about the Syrian president in the past two years should be blamed for the continued war and they should account for the bloodshed in the past few years,” Zarif said in a joint press conference with Garcia-Margallo in Tehran on Monday.

Stressing that merely the Syrian people were entitled to make a decision about their country’s president, he called on the backers of the terrorist groups to give up their selfish moves and short-term benefits that they pursue at the expense of the Syrian people, and let the restoration of peace and reconciliation happen in Syria.

“We insist everyone to try the political solution to end the crisis in Syria and give up their dream of bringing about an end to the situation in Syria through military means,” Zarif said.