Terrorists have no place in Mideast future: Iran diplomat

A senior Iranian official has praised the recent victory of Syrian armed forces against Daesh Takfiris in the historic city of Palmyra, saying there is no place for terror groups in the future of the Middle East.

In an interview with Iran’s Arabic-language al-Alam News Network, Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian congratulated the Syrian nation, government and army on the recent liberation of Palmyra from the clutches of Daesh terrorists.

“Syria will move forward on the path of fighting terrorism and the terrorists will have no place in the future of this region,” said Amir-Abdollahian, adding that the Islamic Republic “will keep up its firm support for anti-terrorism battles in Iraq, Syria as well as those countries facing terror threats.”

The Iranian official further emphasized the need for collective efforts at regional and international levels to uproot terrorism, warning that the failure to adopt such measures would be to the detriment of all sides.

Earlier in the day, weeks of intense military operations by Syrian forces finally bore fruit and they managed to drive Daesh terrorists out of Palmyra, retaking full control of the UNESCO-listed city in Homs Province with the help of popular defense groups and Russian air power.

Daesh had seized Palmyra last May and began subsequently to destroy Roman-era monuments there, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph.

The Syrian army has vowed to build on the win with an advance against other terrorist strongholds, including the provinces of Dayr al-Zawr and Raqqah, located in Syria’s east and north, respectively.

On Sunday, the General Command of the Syrian Army and Armed Forces said Palmyra’s liberation is the beginning of Daesh collapse in the entire Arab state.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also said the recapture is “an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism.”

Observers say Daesh suffered one of its biggest defeats in Palmyra more than two years after it seized swathes of land in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin also called Assad on Sunday, congratulating his Syrian opposite number on the army victory in Palmyra.

Putin added that his country’s armed forces would continue to assist the Damascus officials in the battle against terrorism and help them “rid their land from extremist groups.”

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