Iran leader stresses need to protect civilians in Idlib

By Tugrul Cam

TEHRAN

Iran, Turkey and Russia have agreed to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in the Syrian city of Idlib, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Friday following the conclusion of a tripartite summit on Syria held in Tehran.

“We [summit attendees] agreed to take all necessary precautions for safeguarding civilians in Idlib,” he said.

“We must also persuade the terrorists [in Idlib] to lay down their arms and cease their activities,” he added.

Rouhani also condemned recent U.S. accusations against the regime in Damascus, saying that foreign interference had only aggravated the situation in the war-torn country.

“The U.S. must leave Syria immediately,” he said, citing what he described as “continuing problems” in this regard east of the Euphrates River.

The Iranian president also stressed the need to reactivate Syria’s political process and facilitate the repatriation of displaced Syrians.

“The political process must be encouraged until peace and stability are restored in Syria and the refugees can go home,” he said.

Rouhani concluded by calling for stepped-up cooperation between the three countries that attended Friday’s summit, adding that a follow-up summit would soon be convened in Russia.