Christmas 2018: Iran and Syria show respect, Israel and Saudi Arabia don't

Christmas is a time of goodwill to all men. Or at least it should be. But while the West’s Middle East ‘bad guys’ Iran and Syria, showed the Yuletide spirit, its closest allies, Saudi Arabia and Israel, failed to do so.

By Mohammad Fatemizadeh

Pentagon and CIA are against Trump / Reasons of U.S. withdrawal from Syria:  Anzour

After Donald Trump said he would withdraw all U.S. troops from Syria, the Turkish military operation against Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria has been postponed. Currently, the main cast in Syria is assessing the position of their forces to continue fighting the remaining ISIS presence after the departure of the U.S.

Trump couldn’t overcome Iran, Russia aid to Syria: ex-U.S. diplomat

TEHRAN – An American author and former diplomat has highlighted reasons behind President Donald Trump’s recent decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, saying Trump “could see no way of overcoming Iranian and Russian aid” to the Damascus government.

By Payman Yazdani

Further cooperation among Iran, Russia and Turkey necessary in Syria: Logoglu

TEHRAN - A senior member of Turkey’s CHP says further cooperation among Iran, Russia and Turkey is necessary after the U.S. withdrawal from Syria.

Pentagon mulls allowing Kurdish militias to keep weapons after U.S. withdrawal from Syria

The Pentagon is considering allowing Kurdish fighters to keep their US-supplied weapons after American forces withdraw from northern Syria, breaking a promise it had made to Turkey, a media report reveals.

Bahrain reopens embassy in Syrian capital after UAE move

Bahrain's embassy in Damascus and the Syrian diplomatic mission in Manama have been operating “without interruption”, the Bahraini foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday, a day after the United Arab Emirates reopened its embassy in Syria.

Ex-diplomat calls U.S. military presence in Syria a failure

TEHRAN - Hossein Sheikholeslam, a former Iranian ambassador to Damascus, has said the U.S. military presence in Syria was a failure and called Washington’s move in removing forces from Syria a “wise” act.

Iran welcomes Syrian army’s entrance to Manbij

TEHRAN – Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi on Friday welcomed the Syrian army’s entry into the key northern city of Manbij for the first time in six years, saying it is “a new step” in efforts to resolve the crisis in the war-torn country, Tasnim reported.

UAE officially reopens embassy in Syria

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has officially reopened its embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, the Syrian Information Ministry has announced.

Syria air defences 'confront Israeli missiles' near Damascus

Syrian state media says government air defences have intercepted missiles fired by Israeli fighter jets near the capital, Damascus.

Trump: Saudi Arabia, not U.S., will pay to rebuild Syria

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Saudi Arabia, not the United States, will provide funds to help rebuild Syria, destroyed, in fact, mostly by American and Saudi sponsored terrorists.

Iranian FM: U.S. never fought Daesh

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the presence of U.S. forces in Syria has been ineffective, stressing that the American troops never entered real and meaningful battle against the Daesh terrorist group.

Princeton researcher urges Tehran-Ankara Moscow axis to settle Syria crisis soon

TEHRAN - Hossein Mousavian, a Middle East expert who now works as a researcher at Princeton University researcher, has urged the Tehran-Ankara-Moscow coalition to immediately put an end to the conflict in Syria now that the United States has decided to withdraw its troops from the country.

Tehran: U.S. military presence ‘wrong’ from the outset

TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi has welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Syria, saying the U.S. military presence in the Middle East fuels insecurity in the region.

U.S. has failed in Syria, cleric says

TEHRAN – Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, a Tehran Friday prayer leader, says the U.S. decision to withdraw its forces from Syria is rooted in the fact that they have failed in the war-torn country.

All uninvited forces should leave Syria, Iran says

TEHRAN – Es’haq Al-e- Habib, the Iranian deputy ambassador to the UN, said on Friday that all foreign forces whose presence is not permitted by the Syrian government should leave the country.

Iran, Turkey pledge to promote economic ties to reach $30bn trade target

Iran and Turkey have agreed to step up their economic cooperation with the aim of reaching a $30-billion target set for their annual trade, voicing concern over the re-imposition by the US of unilateral sanctions against the Islamic Republic, a move which they say could affect the entire region's economy.

U.S. prepares to fully pull out troops from Syria

Donald Trump has tweeted that ISIS has been defeated as White House announced that the US has started pulling out its troops from Syria.

Russia, Iran, Turkey Back New Syria Constitution Body but Fail to Agree Makeup

Russia, Iran and Turkey, supporters of the main sides in Syria's complex civil war, on Tuesday failed to agree on the makeup of a UN-sponsored Syrian Constitutional Committee but called for it to convene early next year to kick off a viable peace process.

Tehran hopes to reach agreement with Russia, Turkey on Syria

TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday he hoped to reach an agreement with Russia and Turkey on the composition of a new Constitutional Committee in Syria, Reuters reported.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura set to review joint proposal with foreign ministers in Geneva

Russia, Iran, Turkey seek deal on Syria constitutional body at UN

The United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura is set to hold talks with foreign ministers from Iran, Russia and Turkey in Geneva to discuss setting up a committee to draft a new constitution for the war-torn country.

Iran’s Syria negotiator talks constitution, election with Assad

TEHRAN – Iran’s Syria negotiator Hossein Jaberi Ansari on Sunday evening met with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus.

Baghdad hosts quadripartite meeting on intelligence sharing

TEHRAN – The annual quadripartite meeting among Iran, Russia, Iraq and Syria was held in Baghdad on Sunday with the aim of intelligence exchange. It came on the anniversary of defeating Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group in Iraq.

Iran, Russia, Turkey to meet UN envoy on Syria next week: UN statement

The United Nations special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura will hold talks with senior officials from Iran, Russia and Turkey, as guarantors of the Syria peace process, in Geneva early next week, a UN statement says.

Putin envoy visits Tehran for Syria talks 

TEHRAN – Russian President Putin’s special envoy for Syria Alexander Lavrentiev traveled to Tehran on Saturday and sat down for talks with Iran’s Syria negotiator, Hossein Jaberi Ansari.

By Poya Mirzaee

Turkey fails to comply with all its obligations in Idlib

TEHRAN - Idlib is the only province of Syria to remain completely outside government control and has been dominated by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the modern successor to Nusra Front. The domination of the Syrian army in Syria now means the end of the war ultimately and this will lead to opportunities for political changes in the country.

Jaberi Ansari, Schmid discuss Syrian, Yemeni issues

TEHRAN – Hossein Jaberi Ansari, a senior advisor to the Iranian foreign minister for political affairs, met on Monday with Secretary General of European External Action Service Helga Schmid in Brussels to discuss the Syrian and Yemeni issues and the prospects for the future of the two countries.

By Ramin Hossein Abadian

Syria's important message to the Zionists: The end of hit and run era 

TEHRAN - The Israeli military once again attacked the Syrian territory on 30 November 2018. Syria’s official news agency SANA quoted a military source as saying that “Air defense intercepted hostile targets over al-Kiswah and downed them,” and that “the Israeli attack did not achieve its goals.”

Larijani urges Asian states to establish fiscal pacts

TEHRAN - Iranian Majlis Speaker Ali Larijani said on Friday that the Asian countries should take step to establish fiscal pacts and expand banking cooperation.