Sherman: The U.S. is Ready to Discuss Syria with Iran

Wendy Sherman, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs, has announced the United States' readiness to begin discussions with Iran regarding the situation in Syria. According to a report on Saturday, October 4, by the Associated Press, Sherman stated that she expects discussions about Syria to be part of the meeting on Sunday between the foreign ministers of Iran and the U.S. Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, who is traveling to the U.S. with President Hassan Rouhani to participate in the United Nations General Assembly, is scheduled to meet with John Kerry, his American counterpart, on the sidelines of this assembly. This meeting is expected to focus on the implementation of the nuclear agreement, but as Wendy Sherman mentioned, discussions about the Syrian crisis are 'possible' during this meeting. The Deputy Secretary of State added, 'We have always been in favor of discussing contentious issues and consider it permissible.' Sherman, who has been a senior negotiator for the U.S. in nuclear talks with Iran, stated that the U.S. willingness to discuss Syria with Iran is due to 'overlapping interests' of the two countries. She also noted, 'There are extraordinary sensitivities in Iran regarding such discussions, and there are likely limitations as well; however, it is important to engage in this area as much as we can.' Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, has previously stated that he has only allowed the Iranian government to negotiate with the U.S. on nuclear issues. Khamenei emphasized that 'we have not permitted negotiations in other areas and will not negotiate with the U.S.' Meanwhile, President Hassan Rouhani has indicated the possibility of dialogue between Iran and the U.S. on various issues. Rouhani also mentioned in New York that if U.S. sanctions against Iran are lifted, it 'may be possible' to discuss other topics as well. The Islamic Republic of Iran has firmly supported Bashar al-Assad, the President of Syria, during the five-year crisis and civil war in Syria. However, the U.S. believes that Assad's government has lost its legitimacy. Iran and the U.S. have not had formal political relations since 1979 when a group of 'Muslim students following the Imam's line' stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran and took dozens of diplomats and embassy staff hostage for hundreds of days.