Why an Independent Syria Is Crucial for Russian, Iranian and Turkish Interests

“Russia, Iran, and Turkey should remain together in helping Syria to free and rebuild herself, or accept the repercussions of Syria falling in the hands of Saudi Arabia and the United States,” Mahmoud Reza Sadjadi, Iranian Ambassador to Russia in 2009-2013, told valdaiclub.com on the sidelines of the Russian-Iranian Dialogue in Tehran.

A free Syria, independent from the US and Saudi influence, is crucial for the interests of Iran, Turkey, and Russia, believes Mahmoud Reza Sadjadi, Iranian Ambassador to Russia in 2009-2013.

The US policy in Western Asia is twofold: “to weaken or topple regimes, which do not accept American domination and to assign a puppet in the region which safeguards the American interests,” he said on the sidelines of the Russian-Iranian Dialogue, jointly organized by the Valdai Discussion Club and the Tehran-based Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS).

“Before the Iranian revolution, the shah of Iran was that puppet. After the revolution, they began to look for a new puppet,” he said. “Saudi Arabia has proved to be a good ally and puppet, while [the post-revolution] Iran was the first nation not to accept that domination. So Saudi Arabia was asked to help Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to topple the Iranian regime by invading Iran.”

After the failure to topple the Iranian regime, Syria became the next target for the United States and Saudi Arabia. “Syria was very important for Saudi Arabia. It was an Arab state, and conquering it would have helped Saudi Arabia to dominate the whole Arab world and even Western Asia,” Sadjadi said.

“If Russia, Iran and Turkey realize that a free Syria serves the interests of all four countries, i.e. Syria, Russia, Iran, and Turkey, then they understand the importance of their logical cooperation on Syria,” he stressed.

“The fall of Assad would mean the strengthening of the US in the region against Russian interests,” the former Iranian diplomat said. “To Turkey, it would mean the domination of Arabs, which have been historical enemies of Turkey since the WWI.” In addition, Turkey experienced the Arab involvement in its internal affairs during the 2016 coup against President Erdogan, he pointed out.

“So, Russia, Iran, and Turkey should remain together in helping Syria to free and rebuild herself, or accept the repercussions of Syria falling in the hands of Saudi Arabia and the United States,” Sadjadi added.

Concerning the Russian-Iranian bilateral ties, he pointed out that albeit their political relations are “very good”, cooperation in the spheres of economy and mass media is weak. “We should work on how we can promote these two areas,” Sadjadi said.

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