Continued Attacks by Hezbollah and Syrian Army Around Damascus 'Without Major Advances'

The attacks by the Syrian army and Hezbollah militants against rebels in water supply areas around Damascus have continued over the past two weeks. Reuters reports that these attacks have not resulted in significant advances, and the Turkish Foreign Minister stated that 'ceasefire violations' are the main obstacle to the Astana negotiations. The Syrian government launched a new round of attacks around the capital after accusing the rebels of poisoning the water. These natural areas, which were once tourist destinations, provide water for millions of citizens in and around Damascus and are controlled by several rebel groups. The United Nations recently stated that these citizens have not had access to water since the end of last year. The rebels have denied poisoning the water, but reports indicate that its transfer has also been blocked. Reuters states that the recent two-week attacks by the Syrian army and Hezbollah have 'not been accompanied by major advances.' The rebels rejected the government's proposal to leave these areas and go to Idlib, a proposal they eventually accepted in Aleppo after extensive and severe attacks. However, one of the main differences between the areas around the Syrian capital and the urban areas of Aleppo is their mountainous terrain. This seems to have given the rebels, who include both groups under the 'Free Syrian Army' and Salafist Islamists, a relative advantage. An Iranian official, one of the main supporters of Bashar al-Assad and the primary supporter of Hezbollah, recently stated that 'the end of the conflicts [in Syria] must be conditional on the destruction of Takfiri and terrorist groups.' Aladdin Boroujerdi, head of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Commission, made these remarks on Thursday, January 6, in Damascus. The ceasefire recently established with the support of Moscow and Ankara does not include 'Islamic State' groups and al-Qaeda affiliates, but it is unclear whether Syrian or Iranian officials limit their references to 'Takfiri and terrorist groups' solely to ISIS or Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham. They have labeled almost all armed groups opposing Assad as 'terrorists' in various instances. The Turkish Foreign Minister, a neighbor of Iran and a major opponent of Bashar al-Assad's government, also mentioned 'ceasefire violations' in Syria as the 'main obstacle to negotiations' in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on the same Thursday. 'Pessimism' and 'optimism' in Astana 'Astana negotiations' are part of recent Turkish and Russian efforts to end the Syrian civil war and revive 'peace talks' scheduled for January 23. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, stated on Thursday that his government supports these negotiations as a step toward peace. Barack Obama, the U.S. President, recently welcomed Ankara's efforts in this regard during a call with his Turkish counterpart. However, the negotiations will take place as Mr. Obama's administration transitions to Donald Trump's administration. Staffan de Mistura, the UN envoy for Syria, has also recently spoken about the Kazakhstan negotiations, emphasizing that the UN will send a representative to it. According to the UN Information Center, de Mistura expressed hope on January 6 that 2017 would be a year of 'changes' in the situation in Syria and finding a solution to its civil war. However, alongside him, John Egeland, a senior UN advisor on Syrian affairs, spoke of 'very large events' currently occurring around the Syrian capital, reminding that 5.5 million citizens of Damascus and its surroundings lack access to water because water supply from 'Wadi Barada' has been disrupted, 'and the reason for this is under investigation.' Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu directly raised the issue of 'ceasefire violations' and stated on Thursday during a meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that this issue is the 'main obstacle' to the Astana negotiations. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Cavusoglu stated that all ceasefire violations or bombings have been carried out 'by the Syrian government or its supporters or other groups': 'Such a thing is unacceptable. This is a main obstacle.' Nearly 10 rebel groups have recently stated that the continuation of attacks around the capital will lead to their absence from the Kazakhstan negotiations. Russian officials have not reacted to the events and attacks around Damascus. In this regard, Obama welcomed Turkey's efforts to create a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. The Turkish Foreign Minister stated that Iran should stop violating the ceasefire in Syria. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman stated that Turkey should not adopt positions contrary to the realities regarding Syria. Khamenei stated that the presence of Iranian military personnel in Syria prevents the presence of 'malicious actors' in Iran.