Iran vows to help de-escalate the situation in Syria’s Ghouta

Tabnak – Over the past several days, Eastern Ghouta has become a new hot-spot in the Syrian crisis, where different militant groups are trying to gain the upper hand against the Syrian government. While the UN is discussing a measure on the issue, Iran has vowed to help de-escalate the situation in the area. 

According to Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, Iran is working closely with Syria in order to bring calm back to parts of the Arab country that have witnessed renewed violence as a result of increased terrorist activities over the past days.

After losing most of the Syrian territories in their control, militants are now largely concentrated in Eastern Ghouta, an area they have been using to launch mortar attacks on the Syrian capital Damascus.

Syrian government forces have been pounding terrorist positions in the area to retake it and free a large number of civilians trapped there and struggling with malnutrition and lack of basic medical supplies.

Araqchi, who is on a trip to the UK, told Press TV on Thursday that Tehran and Damascus were exploring possible ways to end the deadly clashes. "We are trying to see how we can de-escalate this new tension and how we can assist people on the ground who are suffering from this conflict.” 

Meanwhile, according to a NPR report, the United Nations Security Council is expected to try again on Friday to approve a draft resolution calling for a 30-day ceasefire in Syria. The cease-fire is meant to allow emergency aid to be delivered and medical evacuations to take place in some of the country's hardest-hit regions, such as Ghouta.

An attempt on Thursday to get such a resolution through the council failed when Russia, refused to go along. It was not clear whether amendments put forward since then would mollify Moscow's objections. 

As Reuters reports, “Russia on Thursday proposed amendments to the resolution drafted by Sweden and Kuwait, arguing that the language was unrealistic and that the 15-member Security Council could not simply impose a truce on Syria without consulting the parties.”

Russia's UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said on Thursday that the proposed resolution was "simply unrealistic."

Meanwhile, Ankara put the blame on the Syrian government and its allies, Iran and Russia for what’s going on in Ghouta. Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that Syrian government air strikes in eastern Ghouta were unacceptable, and called on Russia and Iran to put pressure on Damascus authorities.

“Russia and Iran need to stop the Syrian government,” Cavusoglu said, adding that an offensive by pro-government forces in the northern Syrian province of Idlib also violated an agreement between Turkey, Iran and Russia.

Earlier this month, the United Nations was able to send an aid convoy to Eastern Ghouta, its first since the beginning of this year. The UN Syria peace mediator Staffan de Mistura has asked Iran, Russia and Turkey, which have been organizing peace talks for Syria in Kazakhstan's capital Astana for over a year, to work out a solution to the conflict.