Iran backs peace in Syria: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Kaveh Afrasiabi, a political analyst, about recent statements made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about regional issues.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: President Rouhani talked about continuing to back a fair ceasefire in Syria. The importance of that? Because fair of course depends on who is defining [it]. And we see situations that are taking place right now in Syria though the ceasefire is holding, but that could possibly lead to other conditions especially with the Saudis and trying to push other groups that on the one side are labeled as terrorists and on the other side are still labeled as freedom fighters. How do you see overall the situation?

Afrasiabi: Well, first of all I think that this was a very important signal from Tehran reassuring the international community as well as the regional states of Iran’s peaceful intentions and determination to find a political settlement in war-torn Syria.

And fortunately, this ceasefire has been holding on for over a week now and there’s an attempt by the UN and other international players to transform it into a permanent ceasefire and a political transition through elections and so on.

So, the fact that this regional crisis with Iran being an important player in this theater… it’s very important that President Rouhani sent this message that Iran is determined to be a catalyst for a peaceful political transition through elections in Syria.

Press TV: And another point that President Rouhani touched upon, of course the situation that is taking place in Yemen, blaming the large powers for being totally silent. He said despite the dire humanitarian situation there… What is this about in your perspective that we have a country such as Yemen. More than 8,000 people that have been killed since March 26 of last year, the majority of them civilians, and yet the powers, be they… the majority of them in this region are Western powers remain silent.

Afrasiabi: Well, unfortunately that’s all true and the situation in Yemen is quite appalling per the records of the United Nations’ agencies and this marks the one-year anniversary of the Saudi mayhem in Yemen that has resulted in this humanitarian catastrophe that is going on without any Western government blinking an eye.

Fortunately, recently the European Parliament has called for an arms embargo on Saudi Arabia and we will see if there is any follow-up action on the part of the Europeans and others, who’ve been funneling millions of dollars of arms to Saudi Arabia, which has in turn turned Yemen into this slaughter house.

So, hopefully with the momentum gaining for ceasefire and political settlement in Syria, we will have a positive side effect on Yemen and the international community will then turn its focus on Yemen and try to bring this unnecessary and quite horrible situation in Yemen to an end.

Press TV: And finally he also touch upon Iran’s nuclear deal, saying that there have been some snags but overall the situation is moving as planned. Your take on overall on how the situation is moving, both side of the spectrum, from Iran’s perspective and the other side?

Afrasiabi: Well, as we have heard from both President Rouhani as well as a number of other Iranian officials, there’ve been complaints of the lack of fulfillment of the obligations on the part of the US and some other Western governments under the nuclear agreement. And hopefully these, including some very important issues with the banking transactions and so on, will be resolved in the near future. Otherwise, the Iranian complaint will grow louder and louder and will present problems in terms of the fate of this nuclear agreement.

So, it really… the ball is in the lap of the US government mainly to do what is necessary in order to remove what President Rouhani has referred to as snags and minor issues that we’ll not need to turn into more major problems. And President Obama has a window of time before he lives the Oval Office to do what is dictated under the agreement to bring it up to par since Iran has fulfilled its obligations 100-percent, as confirmed by the International Atomic [Energy] Agency.

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