Iran Calls for Inclusion of Two Syrian Groups in UN Terrorist List

The Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, during a meeting with Mikhail Bogdanov, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, called for the inclusion of the Syrian groups 'Ahrar al-Sham' and 'Jaish al-Islam' in the UN terrorist list. According to the IRNA news agency, Amir-Abdollahian, who arrived in Moscow on Wednesday, emphasized the convergence of Iran and Russia to politically resolve the issues in Syria. He stated that some countries supporting Syria have ignored the recommendations from Iran and Russia, which have always called for a clear identification of what he referred to as 'terrorists'. He added that Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam should be listed as terrorist groups, but efforts in this regard are facing difficulties. Jaish al-Islam, previously known as 'Liwa al-Islam' and 'Brigade of Islam', refers to a coalition of Islamist and Salafi groups participating in the Syrian civil war and is considered one of the most radical rebel groups opposing the government of Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria. Ahrar al-Sham is also an organization composed of Islamic and Salafi military groups opposing Assad's government, fighting in various regions of Syria. Ahrar al-Sham has close ties with al-Qaeda and collaborates with the al-Nusra Front, the Free Syrian Army, and other secular groups in Syria. The Syrian ceasefire agreement, which began in March of last year with coordination from the US and Russia, does not include ISIS and the al-Nusra Front. According to IRNA, Vitaly Churkin, Russia's permanent representative to the UN, stated that the Russian delegation has submitted its proposal to the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee to include these two groups in its list. He announced that the inclusion of Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Islam in the UN terrorist list would permit attacks on their positions. Based on this report, Amir-Abdollahian also discussed issues related to Iraq, Palestine, and Yemen with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Bogdanov. No details have been released regarding these discussions so far.