MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Russia does not see keeping Bashar al-Assad in power as a matter of principle, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow said yesterday in comments that suggested a divergence of opinion with Iran, the Syrian president’s other main international backer.
Fuelling speculation of Russian-Iranian differences over Assad, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps suggested on Monday that Tehran may be more committed to him than Moscow was.
However, one senior regional official cautioned against reading too much into the public statements on Assad, saying there is no difference between Russia and Iran over him. They agree on his staying in office, and that it is up to the Syrian people to elect their president, the official said.
Russia and Iran agreed on his staying in office, and that it was up to the Syrian people to elect their president.
While Russia and Iran have been Assad’s foremost foreign supporters during Syria’s four-year-old war, the United States, its Gulf allies and Turkey have insisted the president must step down as part of any eventual peace deal.
Talks in Vienna on Friday among the main foreign players involved in diplomatic efforts on Syria failed to reach agreement on Assad.
