6 Oct 2024
Sunday 4 December 2016 - 09:43
Story Code : 241426

Russia, Iran to debunk West's media lies over Aleppo operation

Sputnik- Russia and Iran are teaming up to carry out a joint humanitarian operation in Aleppo aimed at helping Syrian civilians who escaped from the clutches of terrorists, advisor to Iran's Foreign Ministry Hossein Sheikholeslam told Sputnik. Still, a lot remain to be done to rescue residents being held hostage by Islamists.

Russia and Iran are developing a joint operation toprovide humanitarian aid inAleppo, afterthe Syrian Arab Army (SAA) managed toliberate most ofthe Syrian city. "First ofall, I would liketo congratulate the residents ofAleppo, which escaped fromthe clutches ofruthless terrorists," Hossein Sheikholeslam, the Iranian Foreign Minister's advisor, told Sputnik Persian, "Secondly, the Islamic Republic ofIran considers it its duty tothe people ofAleppo toensure that all needs ofthose who managed tosurvive and escape are met."

Sheikholeslam called attention tothe fact that Iran has repeatedly taken part inhumanitarian operations throughoutSyria inclose cooperation withthe Syrian government forces and Russia.

Likewise, he stressed, Tehran is now ready toprovide all necessary assistance and support toresidents ofAleppo. "We are completely prepared tocarry outthis joint humanitarian operation together withRussia, and we will use all our resources we have onthe frontline both military and financial. We will provide basic necessities, most notably clean drinking water, medical supplies, food, warm clothes [to Aleppo residents] and will also send our doctors and healthcare specialist [to the city]," Sheikholeslam emphasized.

According toFarzad Ramzani-Bonesh, Iranian independent expert inMiddle Eastern affairs, the Russo-Iranian humanitarian operation inAleppo will become a high-profile event which will surely surprise the West and its Gulf allies.

"While speaking aboutthe joint Russo-Iranian operation aimed atproviding humanitarian aid tothe residents ofAleppo, one should remember some important points. Over the pasttwo years, Western players and their Arab allies have been relentlessly accusing our countries [Russia and Iran] ofproviding military assistance toBashar al-Assad onall fronts, butdoing virtually nothing tosave the lives ofcivilians caught upin the blockade," Ramzani-Bonesh told Sputnik, stressing that these allegations were totally unfounded.

The Iranian expert emphasized that it had been largely neglected bythe Western media that besidesengaging incounter-terrorism operations onthe ground Russia and Iran were taking every effort tosave Syrian civilians.

Given the fact that Daesh (ISIS/ISIL), al-Nusra Front and other extremists used the Syrians as "human shields" it was extremely difficult tocarry outthese rescue operations, Ramzani-Bonesh admitted.

"However, now that Assad's army has made significant progress [in Aleppo] withthe assistance ofits allies and liberated large areas [of the city], it's time forIran and Russia tostrike back inresponse tothe information war waged byWestern and some Arabian mass media [against Russia and Iran] which falsely accused us ofinaction and unwillingness toprovide humanitarian aid toSyrian civilians," Ramzani-Bonesh pointed out, referring tothe recent Russo-Iranian humanitarian initiative.

The Iranian expert highlighted that it is extremely important tosave those Aleppo residents who are still being used byterrorists as "human shields" and ensure the safety ofhumanitarian convoys heading toAleppo.

On Friday the Russian Ministry ofDefense reported that Russia has already delivered more than5 metric tons ofhumanitarian aid tothe Syrian provinces ofAleppo and Damascus.

"Within the last 24 hours, two humanitarian events have been held, inthe course ofwhich civilians received aid: inthe Hananu 3 area ofthe Aleppo city and al-Mahalej camp forrefugees inthe Aleppo province about4 tons; inthe Seid Naya area inthe Damascus province aboutone ton," the Russian Defense Ministry's official statement says.

Meanwhile, a Russian sapper unit has been deployed toSyria toconduct mine-clearing operations inthe city. Earlier this week Russian Defense Ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov highlighted that the US, the UK, France and the UN have yet tooffer humanitarian assistance to90,000 Aleppo residents liberated a few days ago.

Later, responding tothe UK's unfounded allegations regarding Moscow halting its humanitarian assistance toSyrians inAleppo, Konashenkov reiterated Saturday that "all this time, residents ofeastern neighborhoods [in Aleppo] have been receiving daily humanitarian aid, medicine and warm clothing fromthe Russian Center forreconciliation and the Syrian government." "The United Kingdom, inthe course ofall the years ofcivil war inSyria has not allocated a single gram offlour, a single pill or blanket tohelp civilians," he added.
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