Boroujerdi: We Will Consider Sending Forces if Damascus Requests It

While the Syrian president has referred to the quadrilateral coalition with Iran, Russia, and Iraq as a 'trump card in the fight against terrorism,' the head of the Iranian Parliament's Foreign Policy Commission has stated that Iran will 'consider' sending military forces to Syria if requested by the Syrian government. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Aladdin Boroujerdi emphasized during a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Thursday, October 15, that the Islamic Republic will continue its 'economic and political support and military consultations' for Assad's government until what he described as 'complete victory over terrorism and its supporters.' Meanwhile, according to Agence France-Presse, the head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission stressed in a press conference that if Syria officially requests military personnel from Iran, Tehran will 'consider' this request. Boroujerdi's remarks come as Tehran officials have previously denied the direct presence of the Revolutionary Guards in the conflicts in Syria and Iraq, stating that these forces are active in both countries as 'military advisors.' He emphasized that Iran's plan for resolving the Syrian crisis can only be implemented 'in coordination' with the Syrian government, referring to 'military operations' in Syria as 'supporting the political and peace solution' in the country. On Wednesday, Boroujerdi also told Walid al-Moallem, the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, that Tehran welcomes the quadrilateral coalition of Russia, Iran, Syria, and Iraq against what he termed 'terrorist' groups. Meanwhile, Bashar al-Assad stated during his meeting with Boroujerdi that 'the quadrilateral coalition of Iran, Russia, Syria, and Iraq is our trump card in the fight against terrorism in the region.' According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, Assad emphasized that 'significant victories have been achieved under the new coalition and coordination between Iran and Russia, and we will witness more successes in the near future.' He also expressed condolences to Boroujerdi over the death of Hossein Hamadani, a senior commander of the Revolutionary Guards, in Syria. Aladdin Boroujerdi's visit to Syria coincides with reports that the Syrian armed forces, with the support of Iranian forces and Hezbollah, and the air support of Russia, are preparing for a large-scale military operation against ISIS. The Hama province has recently been the scene of heavy Russian airstrikes and advances by Assad's soldiers, with some areas having been captured by government forces. Russia began its airstrikes in Syria on October 1, claiming that the aim of these bombings is to fight the forces of the 'Islamic State' (formerly ISIS), but the United States and its allies believe that the majority of these airstrikes target so-called 'moderate' forces opposed to Assad. European Union foreign ministers also called for an immediate halt to Russian airstrikes in Syria during their meeting on October 13 in Luxembourg.