MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Tehran is ready to provide the security forces needed to supervise the ceasefire in Syria's de-escalation zones in the event the necessary agreement is reached, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Monday.
“If the required grounds are provided, there would be a need to deploy forces who can monitor the ceasefire… We are prepared to take this measure if the necessary agreement is reached,” Qassemi said, as quoted by the Tasnim news agency.
The spokesman noted that trilateral talks between Iran, Russia and Turkey on the Syrian ceasefire and safe zones were underway.
On May 4, Russia, Turkey and Iran signed the memorandum on establishment of four safe zones Syria as part of the Astana settlement talks. The zones span the northwestern Idlib province and parts of the neighboring Latakia, Hama and Aleppo, the north of the central Homs province, Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, as well as southern Daraa and Quneitra regions. The memorandum came into force on May 6.
Syria has been in the state of civil war for six years, with government forces fighting against both Syrian opposition groups who strive to overthrow President Bashar Assad, and numerous extremist and terrorist groups such as Daesh and al-Nusra Front (Jabhat Fatah al Sham), both of which are outlawed in Russia. Russia and Turkey are the guarantors of a nationwide Syrian ceasefire regime that came into force on December 30, 2016.
