Iran Claims US and Israel Are 'Coordinating' Jihadist Offensive in Syria

According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, the jihadist offensive in Syria was initiated in collaboration with the US and Israel. Read Full Article at RT.com.

Iran Claims US and Israel Are 'Coordinating' Jihadist Offensive in Syria
The Iranian government claims that foreign backers of terrorists are attempting to weaken the nation and incite discord throughout the region.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei, the recent jihadist offensive in Syria was executed with the coordination of the US and Israel. He highlighted that the timing of the terrorist attacks in northern Syria coincided with Israel's ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah.

The Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorist organization, along with allied militias, initiated an assault on government-controlled regions in northern Syria last Wednesday, capturing several villages and towns in the provinces of Aleppo, Idlib, and Hama, and advancing into the city of Aleppo by Friday.

The offensive commenced on the day the long-negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah took effect. Although West Jerusalem agreed to the ceasefire earlier that week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned he would “respond forcefully” to any violations by Hezbollah.

Baghaei stated, “The concurrence of the recent developments in Syria with the ceasefire in Lebanon, and the statements of the American officials in this regard, indicate the existence of some kind of coordination and cooperation between the terrorists, the US, and the Zionist regime.”

He further claimed that the current attack serves the objectives of Washington and West Jerusalem to “weaken Syria” and “create division and sedition among Islamic countries.” Baghaei accused the US of providing ongoing support to militant groups in Syria, asserting that Israel is “the party that benefits the most from the developments in Syria.”

The spokesman urged “all Islamic countries” to recognize the “threat posed by the Zionist regime” and unite in resistance against its actions.

This recent incursion effectively ended the truce between the Syrian government and the militants, which had been facilitated by Russia and Türkiye in 2020. Baghaei mentioned that Tehran is collaborating with regional partners to restore the agreement, potentially through the Astana Process, which began in 2017 to address the Syrian civil war and aid in the country’s post-war recovery, supervised by Türkiye, Russia, and Iran.

“Everyone acknowledges that the Astana Process has been the most stable and successful mechanism related to crisis control in Syria in recent years. [It] is still alive,” he noted, adding that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is currently visiting Türkiye to seek solutions to ease the escalating tensions.

Previously, Araghchi also held the US and Israel accountable for the resurgence of terrorism in Syria, labeling last week’s offensive as an “American-Zionist” scheme. He alleged that Washington and West Jerusalem are utilizing HTS as a proxy to undermine the Syrian government, which supports Palestine.

The US has a history of backing anti-Assad militias in Syria, including HTS. Former US special representative for Syria engagement James Jeffrey referred to the group in a 2021 interview as “an asset” to American strategy in the region.

Navid Kalantari contributed to this report for TROIB News