Iran defies the Russians: No one can get us out of Syria

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qasimi responded to Russia's announcement that Iran and its militias should leave Syria for "no one can get Iran out of Syria."

"Our advisory presence in Syria will continue as long as there is a request from its government," Qassimi said during his weekly press conference on Monday. "No one can force Iran to do something. Iran is an independent state that pursues its policies. On the basis of their interests".

He added: "Our presence in Syria came at the request of the government, and the goal is to combat terrorism, and as long as there is a need and the threat of terrorism exists, and there was a request from the Syrian government, Iran will continue to provide assistance to them. "

He said Qassimi that "those who must come out of Syria are those who entered without the permission of the government," as he put it.

These statements show the depth of the escalating crisis between Moscow and Tehran and the conflict on Syrian territory, where Russia has considered the presence of Iran as a major obstacle to the political solution in Syria.

Russia's special envoy to Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev, announced last Friday that the withdrawal of "foreign troops" from Syria must be carried out comprehensively.

"This talk is about all the foreign military forces in Syria, including the Americans, the Turks, Hezbollah, and of course the Iranians," Lavrintev told reporters.

Putin met last week with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the Black Sea resort of Sochi and told him that "all foreign armed forces" should leave Syrian territory, media reports said.

The remarks by the Iranian foreign ministry spokesman are the first official and public position of Tehran on the conflict with Moscow over Syria.

The Tabnak website of Mohsen Rezai, the Iranian Expediency Council's secretary general, said that the territory and Moscow agreed to exclude Tehran in exchange for involving Western countries in the political solution to the Syrian crisis.

Moscow's acceptance of the plan and the return to the Geneva negotiations signed consensus with Western countries on ending the conflict in Syria by expelling Iran and its militias.

For its part, the newspaper "Sharq" reformist Iran that despite Russia continues the negotiations on Syria on Syria with the participation of Iran and Turkey, but seems determined to resolve the crisis in Syria with the participation of Western countries, "by excluding Iran and damage to its interests in Syria. "

He added that the rapprochement between Russia and the West can be seen by calling for the withdrawal of all "foreign forces" from Syria, including the militias of Iran, Hezbollah and Turkish forces, that is, everyone should go, and that only Russian troops remain in Syria, according to the report