The Russia-US summit is coming up, Israel and Iran are competing to meet Mr. Putin 3
Coming up to the Russia-US summit, Mr. Putin continuously received representatives from Iran and Israel to reaffirm his views and wishes regarding Iran’s presence in Syria.
The US-Russia summit is scheduled to take place on July 16 in the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
Iran: Will not leave Syria!
On July 12, in Moscow, Mr. Putin received Mr. Ali Akbar Velayati – senior special envoy of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mr. Ali Akbar Velayati, senior special envoy of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (left), met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 12.
Mr. Velayati has been to Syria many times as a representative of leader Khamenei.
In Russia, Mr. Velayati announced that Iran has no intention of leaving Syria despite pressure from the US and Israel, once again reaffirming Iran’s tough position on the Syrian issue in the context of the upcoming US-Russia summit.
“Our presence in Syria is well coordinated with Russia and the Syrian government.
`We went there without America’s permission and we will not have to obey America’s orders to leave` – Mr. Velayati criticized America’s request for Iran to withdraw from Syria.
Mr. Velayati also warned Russia not to listen to the US regarding Iran’s presence in Syria: `I told Russian officials: Now the US side says Iran must leave Syria and tomorrow the US will ask what you are doing.`
Mr. Velayati was skeptical about the results of the upcoming US-Russia summit, repeating heavy criticism from the US side, saying that he did not hope that Mr. Trump would make any positive contributions to Middle East stability.
Israel: Iran must leave Syria!
Meeting Mr. Putin one day before Mr. Velayati was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Iran’s presence in Syria has long been a headache for Israel.
With the Syrian government on July 12 planting the national flag on Dara’a city – the cradle of protests against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in 2011, one of the last strongholds of the rebels in Syria.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Kremlin (Russia) on July 11.
The Russian side has not confirmed Mr. Netanyahu’s words.
According to analyst Ofer Zalzberg at the International Organization for Crisis Resolution (Belgium), even if it agrees with Israel, Russia cannot do much.
Mr. Andrei Kortunov, President of the Council of International Affairs research organization (Russia), an advisor to the Kremlin on foreign policy, also agreed with this assessment, saying that even if Mr. Putin agrees with Israel,
“It is possible to move Iranian forces 50, 80, even 100 km deep into the Golan Heights.
According to Dang Khoa
Ho Chi Minh City Law
