Putin Discussed Syria Situation with Iran's Pezeshkian by Phone, Says Kremlin

Smoke rises as a member of the rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Smoke rises as a member of the rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Putin Discussed Syria Situation with Iran's Pezeshkian by Phone, Says Kremlin

Smoke rises as a member of the rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Smoke rises as a member of the rebels led by the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham drives on a motorbike in al-Rashideen, Aleppo province, Syria November 29, 2024. REUTERS/Mahmoud Hasano/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the escalating situation in Syria with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian by phone, the Kremlin said on Monday.

"The focus was on the escalating situation in the Syrian Arab Republic," the Kremlin statement said.

"Unconditional support was expressed for the actions of the legitimate authorities of Syria to restore constitutional order and to restore the political, economic and social stability of the Syrian state."

Pezeshkian said his country was ready for any cooperation with Russia to control the regional situation and help resolve the crisis in Syria, according to the Iranian government's website.

"We believe that the recent events are part of a dangerous plan by the United States and the Zionist regime (Israel) to disrupt the geopolitical landscape of the region in favor of Zionists, but this plan will fail thanks to the unity and cooperation of regional countries," Pezeshkian added.

Earlier, the Kremlin said Russia was continuing to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after his forces lost territory to opposition groups and would see what help was needed to stabilize the situation.

A statement from the Syrian Prime Minister's office on Monday said that Russian and Syrian aircraft were striking opposition-held positions in Aleppo's eastern countryside, killing and wounding dozens of fighters.

Russia, a staunch Assad ally, intervened militarily on his side against anti-government factions in 2015 in its biggest foray in the Middle East since the Soviet Union's collapse, and maintains an airbase and naval facility in Syria.

The Kremlin said on Friday it wanted the Syrian government to restore constitutional order as soon as possible and regarded the opposition attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.

Asked on Monday whether Russia planned to increase its support for Assad, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "We continue to support Bashar Al-Assad. Contacts are continuing at the appropriate levels.

"We are analyzing the situation and a position will be formed on what is needed to stabilize the situation."

Russian military bloggers said on Sunday that Moscow has dismissed Sergei Kisel, the general in charge of its forces in Syria, and replaced him with Colonel General Alexander Chaiko.

There was no official confirmation from the Russian Defense Ministry of such a change.

Assad has vowed to crush the opposition fighters - a coalition of Türkiye-backed mainstream secular armed groups along with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

The opposition seized control of all of Idlib province in recent days, the boldest assault for years in a civil war where front lines had largely been frozen since 2020.

They also swept into the city of Aleppo, east of Idlib, on Friday night, forcing the army to redeploy.



Iran ‘Has Yet to Decide’ on Negotiations with the US

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (center), President Masoud Pezeshkian (third from right), Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second from right), and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei (right) attend a meeting with officials and ambassadors (Iranian Presidency)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (center), President Masoud Pezeshkian (third from right), Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second from right), and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei (right) attend a meeting with officials and ambassadors (Iranian Presidency)
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Iran ‘Has Yet to Decide’ on Negotiations with the US

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (center), President Masoud Pezeshkian (third from right), Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second from right), and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei (right) attend a meeting with officials and ambassadors (Iranian Presidency)
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (center), President Masoud Pezeshkian (third from right), Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf (second from right), and Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei (right) attend a meeting with officials and ambassadors (Iranian Presidency)

Iran has backtracked on its earlier openness to negotiating with the United States, stating that no decision has been made on the matter and denying receiving a message from US President Donald Trump.

“Iran has not yet concluded that negotiations are necessary. If they do take place, they will be conducted on equal terms. However, at this moment, no such conclusion has been reached,” the Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), quoted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying.

He added: “Iran has not received any message from Trump regarding negotiations, and fundamentally, there is no trust between the two sides.”

Araghchi also noted that talks with European counterparts are ongoing, and Tehran is awaiting further developments.

Regarding potential talks with Washington, the Iranian official said that while an agreement had been reached in the past, “the Americans violated it. Now, the foundation is a lack of trust. Trust cannot be built with words; we need to see real actions on the ground.”

Earlier, Tehran had expressed openness to considering negotiation offers from Trump regarding Iran’s nuclear program while warning that any attack on its nuclear facilities would lead to a “major disaster.”

Tehran has described targeting its nuclear sites as “madness,” warning that such an action would destabilize the region. It has also urged Washington to take further steps to rebuild trust at this stage.

Iran is particularly concerned that Trump’s potential return to office could revive his “maximum pressure” campaign, aimed at forcing Tehran to alter its regional policies—especially as its nuclear program advances toward weapons-grade enrichment levels.

Araghchi’s comments came after Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei cautioned Iranian officials to be wary in their dealings with adversaries.

“Behind diplomatic smiles lie hidden and malicious hostilities,” Khamenei warned, according to Tasnim. “We must keep our eyes open and be cautious in our interactions and dialogues with others.”