Iran opposes creation of safe zones in Syria

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iranian Parliament’s Director General for Foreign Affairs, said that his country is against the idea of creating safe zones in Syria, claiming that it will harbor “terrorists,” Fars News Agency reported on Saturday (February 25) the Iranian official as saying.

Abdollahian claimed that creating safe zones in Syria is a disrespect for the country’s “sovereignty” and is also a violation of its territorial integrity.

The Iranian official then added that to establish peace and security in Syria, “foreign” fighters must be suppressed.

Iran, a staunch ally of Assad, has been aiding Assad’s war against the Syrian people since 2011 and by December 2013 Iran was thought to have approximately 10,000 operatives in Syria.

Iran-backed Shiite militias include the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi al-Nujaba Movement, Afghan Liwa Fatemiyoun and Pakistani Zeynabiyoun Brigade.

Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah militants backed by Iran have taken direct combat roles in Syria since 2012 until today.