Russia Consulted with Iran on 'Alliance Against Terrorists'

Ali Larijani stated that Russia consulted with Iran regarding an 'alliance to combat terrorists' prior to its operations in Syria, and Mohsen Rezaei reported on the collaboration between Iran, Russia, Syria, and Iraq to 'fight ISIS'. According to Fars News Agency, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said on Saturday, October 18, that the coalition of the four countries—Iran, Russia, Syria, and Iraq—has not become 'permanent' and is 'only for fighting ISIS, although there have been meetings between these four countries'. Rezaei also mentioned on Friday, October 10, that Russia has 'seriously' entered Syria and may also intervene in Iraq in favor of its government. Since Wednesday, October 8, Russia has begun airstrikes against militant groups opposing the Damascus regime in the provinces of Hama, Homs, and Idlib, which has drawn criticism from the U.S. and its Western allies. However, Marzieh Afkham, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, supported Russia's actions, calling them 'a step towards combating terrorism and the crisis it has caused in the region'. Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, announced that Russia consulted with Iran about an 'alliance to combat terrorists' before these actions. According to IRNA, Larijani stated at a press conference after meeting with the President of the Polish Senate that it is 'too early' to judge Russia's military operations in Syria, but these attacks have been 'conducted with careful consideration' so far. Russia and Iran are the two main allies of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria, and their collaboration comes at a time when Iran recently confirmed that a senior commander was killed while on a 'consultative mission' in the outskirts of Aleppo. Aleppo is currently one of the main confrontation points between Syrian government forces and Bashar al-Assad's opponents, and several locations there were targeted by Russian cruise missiles last week. The U.S. Defense Secretary stated in a press conference with his British counterpart that four of these missiles, en route to Syria, likely fell in Iranian territory 'due to technical failure'. Iran rejected this report through Masoud Jazayeri, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Additionally, in recent weeks, reports emerged regarding the second trip of Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran's Quds Force, to Russia, amid criticism from the U.S. regarding his previous consultations in Moscow. Both Iran and Russia denied reports about this trip. Meanwhile, Reuters reported on October 9 that hundreds of Iranian military personnel have entered Syrian territory in the past ten days to participate in a large ground operation supported by Russian airstrikes against Bashar al-Assad's opponents. This report was also denied a day later by the state news agency IRNA, citing an unnamed 'high-ranking political official'. In this context, the U.S. and Russia are 'negotiating' about flight security over Syria, and the U.S. has announced a new approach in supporting groups opposing Bashar al-Assad. The rapid advance of the 'Islamic State' towards the city of Aleppo in Syria has raised concerns, with two American officials stating that four Russian cruise missiles fell in Iranian territory. Iraqi officials have claimed that Iran encouraged Russia to conduct attacks in Syria, while the U.S. has not yet made a decision regarding a no-fly zone in Syria.