Putin in Iran for talks on Syria

Both Moscow and Tehran are backing Syria’s “President Bashar al Assad ” http://news.yahoo.com/russias-putin-arrives-tehran-100552859.html in contrast to Western powers, Turkey and Gulf Arab states. Russian Federation and Iran are against “external attempts to dictate scenarios of political settlement” in the conflict-wracked state, and only Syria’s people could decide to dump Assad in elections following a ceasefire.

Putin, on his first visit to Iran since 2007, presented an old edition of the Koran, the Muslim holy book, to Khamenei, the Iranian leader’s website said, publishing photos of the book.

“No one outside of Syria can and should impose on its people a few forms of government and who personally must govern it. This should only be decided by the Syrian people”, he said at a meeting with Iran’s spiritual leader Ayatollah Khamenei, which was broadcast on the Rossiya 24 television channel on November 23.

Russian President Vladimir Putin eased restrictions on nuclear cooperation with Iran on Monday, signing a decree that Russian companies be allowed to help modify centrifuges at Iran’s Fordo enrichment site and redesign the heavy water reactor at Arak, which is to be converted to exclusively peaceful purposes, per the Iran nuclear agreement. We have exchanged (views on the) situation in Syria. “The United States has no right to ignore the voice of the Syrian people”.

Russian Federation and Iran are undertaking joint military action in support of Assad.

Syria has been gripped by civil war since March 2011 with Takfiri terrorists from various groups, including the ISIL, now controlling parts of it.

For Russia, defending Assad and confronting IS has become more important since the militants blew up a Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on October 31, killing all 224 on board.

Both Iran and Russian Federation, which has a major sea port base in Syria, are seeking to limit USA leverage in the Middle East.

Russian Federation is also emerging as a long-term arms partner for Iran, despite the countries having a complicated history over territory, oil, commerce and communism.