Iran welcomes ceasefire plan in Syria

Iran has always underlined the importance of establishing a ceasefire in Syria since the outset of the crisis in the Arab country, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the government accepts the terms of a ceasefire deal announced by the United States and Russia on Monday.

It added that the Syrian government accepts the deal on the basis that military efforts against Daesh Takfiri terrorists and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front group continue.

Amir-Abdollahian further said Iran is confident that the Syrian government would remain committed to the ceasefire.

“However, it is not clear that armed groups linked to known terrorist groups would observe the ceasefire because armed groups linked to terrorists benefit from chaos in Syria,” the Iranian diplomat added.

He said, “Tehran will do its utmost to help fight terrorism, establish lasting ceasefire, facilitate delivery of humanitarian aid and hold all-embracing Syrian talks” under the supervision of the United Nations.

According to a new report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the Syrian conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.

On Monday, the United States and Russia said a truce has been planned to take effect in the battle-scarred country on February 27.

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