Iran Will Pull Out of Syria Immediately If Damascus Requests This – Analyst
18:49 14.12.2017(updated 18:59 14.12.2017)
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201712141060003514-iran-russia-syria/

Damascus is seemingly not interested in the withdrawal of Iranian forces
from Syria, given the US military presence in the region, political analyst
Hassan Hanizadeh, former editor-in-chief of the Iranian news agency Mehr
News, has told Sputnik, adding that Tehran would pull out immediately at the
request of the Syrian government.

If the legitimate Syrian government requests Tehran withdraw its forces from
the country, the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) will immediately do this,
political analyst specializing in Iranian-Arab relations and former
editor-in-chief of the Iranian news agency Mehr News, Hassan Hanizadeh, told
Sputnik Iran.

"The Syrian Arab Army is now capable of finishing off those insignificant
remnants of terrorists hiding in the region by itself. On the other hand,
the withdrawal of Russian troops [from Syria] is also a signal for other
allied countries to consider the possibility of the pullout of their
military contingent," Hanizadeh opined, "As for Iran, Tehran is currently
holding negotiations with Damascus."

At the same time, the Iranian analyst expressed concerns about the American
military presence in the region: "The US has illegally occupied some areas
of Syria, deploying its bases there," Hanizadeh said, adding that more than
2,000 US military servicemen are located in Raqqa alone.

"The US did not receive official permission from Damascus for such actions,"
the Iranian journalist stressed. "Therefore, we all agree that they [the
Americans] should immediately leave Syria, since their presence there
prompts serious concerns: it is the Americans who are 'heating up' terrorist
groups in Syria."

According to Hanizadeh, this is the reason behind Damascus' need for the
presence of a limited contingent of Iranian and Russian military forces on
the Syrian territory: "This is necessary to drive the Americans out and to
confront the terrorists in case they are transferred to Syria due to the
Americans' efforts."

The analyst noted that the Syrian government is due to announce its decision
regarding the deployment of allied troops on its territory in the nearest
future.

However, Hanizadeh believes that Damascus is not interested in the further
withdrawal of its allies, since the Americans and extremist groups may again
instigate chaos in the region, according to the Iranian journalist.

He focused attention on the fact that the Hmeymim and Tartus bases "remain
at the disposal of Russia," despite the departure of the Russian armed
forces. Hanizadeh reiterated that in contrast to their American
counterparts, Russian military servicemen have been maintaining their
presence in Syria absolutely legally.

The Iranian analyst highlighted that if the need arises, Moscow and Tehran
will redeploy their forces in the country to ensure security. Meanwhile,
Damascus is busy with restoring peace and stability in the country, he
noted.

President Putin's Visit to Syria a Sign of Confidence in the Future of the
Country

Commenting on President Vladimir Putin's December 11 trip to Syria's
Latakia, Hanizadeh dubbed the event as "very significant" and "full of
courage."

"The visit of Vladimir Putin to Syria can also be regarded as a
demonstration of confidence in the future of the Syrian people," the
journalist suggested.

He underscored that in the course of the Syrian war, Russia had provided the
country with weapons and associated equipment, military personnel and
humanitarian aid.

"Russia is well aware that terrorist groups such as al-Nusra Front, Jaish
al-Islam and Ahrar al-Sham, were created with the assistance of the United
States and its regional allies," Hanizadeh highlighted. "Russia paid a great
price in its fight against terrorists. Iran, the Syrian Arab Army, militias
and the fighters of the Hezbollah movement helped Russia in this fight. As a
result they prevented the development of a catastrophic scenario — the
transformation of Syria into a 'new Somalia' in the Middle East."

On December 11, President Putin announced the withdrawal of Russian troops
from Syria after the successful completion of the two-year long campaign,
specifying that the bases in Tartus and Hmeymim, as well as the center for
Syrian reconciliation, would continue to operate.

For their part, Damascus' allies including Iran's special forces and
Hezbollah fighters continue to maintain their presence on the ground.
Foreign actors such as Turkey and the US-led coalition forces have yet to
leave the territory of the sovereign state where they have been operating
illegally for the past few years.

The views and opinions expressed by Hassan Hanizadeh are those of the
analyst and do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.