Iran ready to hold talks on Syria with US, Saudi: Rouhani

AP, Tehran :
Iran’s president said on Tuesday that his country is ready to hold talks with the United States and Saudi Arabia on ways to resolve Syria’s civil war, providing such negotiations can secure peace and democracy in conflict-torn Syria.
Hassan Rouhani’s remarks came during a press conference with visiting Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer, when the Iranian leader was asked if he would sit down and negotiate with the Saudis and Americans on the Syrian crisis.
“Iran will sit at any table with regional countries and world powers if the outcome will be a safer, stable and democratic future for Syria,” Rouhani said, adding this is part of Iran’s commitment to “international, Islamic and humane” norms.
Shiite powerhouse Iran is a leading patron of Syrian President Bashar Assad and accuses Sunni rival Saudi Arabia and the U.S. of siding with anti-Assad rebels and militants. Tehran has also sent military advisers to Damascus to help Assad’s troops against the Islamic State group. Iran, however, denies sending combat forces to help Assad militarily.
Rouhani also urged the international community to prioritize halting the bloodshed, rather than Syrian opposition demands, such as Assad’s ouster. Western countries, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have repeatedly called for Assad to step down.
“It is not a matter of supporting a specific individual or government,” said Rouhani. “While people of Syria are being killed and displaced, is it really a priority to discuss opposition groups … and changes in the (Syrian) constitution?” “Foreign countries and powers should not and cannot decide about the future of Syria but should help bring about security in Syria,” he added.
Following the landmark nuclear deal in July between Tehran and world powers, Iran is increasingly working to strengthen ties with Western countries.
Meanwhile, Signs of an ongoing Russian military buildup in Syria have drawn U.S. concerns and raised questions of whether Moscow plans to enter the conflict. President Vladimir Putin has been coy on the subject, saying Russia is weighing various options, a statement that has fueled suspicions about the Kremlin’s intentions.
Observers in Moscow say the Russian maneuvering could be part of a plan to send troops to Syria to fight the Islamic State group in the hope of fixing fractured ties with the West. They warn, however, that Putin would likely find it hard to sell his idea to a skeptical U.S. and risks potentially catastrophic repercussions if he opts for unilateral military action in Syria.