TEHRAN – Iran shares the United Nations’ concern about a potential humanitarian catastrophe in Syria’s Idlib province and will seek to avert it, Hossein Jaberi Ansari, top aide to Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, told reporters on Tuesday.

“We are also worried. We are going to work toward that not happening,” Jaberi Ansari said as he arrived in Geneva for UN talks about creating a committee to revise the war-battered country’s constitution.

The talks are hosted by UN envoy Staffan de Mistura and also include senior Russian and Turkish officials.

They come amid concerns about a looming battle for northern Idlib province — the last remaining stronghold of terrorists in Syria after seven years of war, which is home to three million civilians.

Jaberi Ansari said a “good result” could emerge from the talks.

Iran, Russia and Turkey have been working together as “guarantors” for a series of talks around ending Syria’s war.

The presidents of the three countries held a trilateral summit in Tehran on Friday, marking the third time the leaders have come together to negotiate the Syrian conflict.

During the summit, President Hassan Rouhani said the United States should leave Syria as soon as possible because its presence there has been detrimental to the a peace process in the country.

“It is absolutely clear that America is present in Syria illegally and is only fueling aggression and supporting the Apartheid Zionist regime [there]. Hardly any positive role can be expected (from the U.S.) in the Syrian (peace) process,” Rouhani stated.

MH/PA