Tehran, Damascus Hold Security Coordination Meeting to Confront US Moves

Syria’s Special Adviser at the Republic Presidency Luna al-Shebel, Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria’s Special Adviser at the Republic Presidency Luna al-Shebel, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Tehran, Damascus Hold Security Coordination Meeting to Confront US Moves

Syria’s Special Adviser at the Republic Presidency Luna al-Shebel, Asharq Al-Awsat
Syria’s Special Adviser at the Republic Presidency Luna al-Shebel, Asharq Al-Awsat

Security talks between Iran and Syria were conducted in Tehran at a time when Syria’s Special Adviser at the Republic Presidency Luna al-Shebel announced Damascus having information about extremist fighters leaving the Middle East region and heading to Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

Speaking to Sputnik on Monday, al-Shebel revealed that the Syrian government had communicated with representatives from the rebel republics of Donetsk and Luhansk to inform them that Damascus is ready for cooperation as soon as the turbulence in the region settles.

Al-Shebel’s statements coincide with Tehran holding an Iranian-Syrian security meeting on Sunday.

The top Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani held a meeting with the Head of the Syrian National Security Bureau Major-General Ali Mamlouk to discuss bilateral ties, as well as regional and international developments.

According to Iranian media, Mamlouk presented Shamkhani with a security briefing od the situation in Syria.

For his part, Shamkhani asserted that Tehran will continue to back Damascus.

“Iran, which has supported the Syrian government and people in the most difficult circumstances and the height of terrorist group movements, is determined to continue its support for the Syrian government and people,” Shamkhani told Mamlouk according to IRNA.

Mamlouk said that cooperation between Tehran and Damascus in counterterrorism helps in bolstering regional security.

The state-owned SANA reported that Mamlouk and Shamkhani reviewed means for confronting alleged US efforts for reviving terror groups in Syria.

Mamlouk urged all states to unite to end extremism worldwide and praised Iran’s role in fighting terrorism.

Shamkhani pointed to field mobilization to train, arm, and direct terror groups in Syria, and accused the US of playing a “dangerous” part in creating regional and global crises.

“The US occupation of parts of Syria is the biggest obstacle to the full return of security and stability to it,” SANA quoted Shamkhani as saying.



Türkiye Says Israel Doesn’t Want Diplomacy, Warns of Regional Disaster Amid Escalating Tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
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Türkiye Says Israel Doesn’t Want Diplomacy, Warns of Regional Disaster Amid Escalating Tensions

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Israel's attacks on Iran right before a new round of nuclear talks with the United States aimed to sabotage the negotiations, and it showed Israel did not want to resolve issues through diplomacy.  

Speaking at a foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Erdogan urged countries with influence over Israel not to listen to its "poison" and to seek a solution to the fighting via dialogue without allowing a wider conflict.  

He also called on Muslim countries to increase their efforts to impose punitive measures against Israel on the basis of international law and United Nations' resolutions. 

Additionally, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told his counterparts from Muslim countries that Israel was dragging the region into "total disaster" with its attacks on Iran. He said that world powers must prevent the war from spiraling into a wider conflict. 

Speaking at a foreign ministers' meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul, Fidan called on Muslim countries to stand with Iran against Israel, and said the region had an "Israel problem" after its assault on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Iran. 

The Israel-Iran war began on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched massive airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear and military infrastructure. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks, escalating years of covert conflict into open warfare. This marks the first direct war between the two nations, raising fears of broader regional instability.