Turkey, Iran, Russia: Trilateral distrust in Syria - Ali Bakeer - http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2017/11/turkey-iran-russia-trilateral-distrust-in-syria.html#ixzz4zBFVfKQg
Russian President Vladimir Putin will be hosting his Turkish and Iranian counterparts, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Hassan Rouhani, at a trilateral summit Nov. 22 in Sochi, to discuss Syria and regional developments. Prior to the summit, the three countries held a preparatory meeting with experts in Tehran, followed by another meeting on the ministerial level in Turkey's Antalya.
At the conclusion of the Antalya meeting Nov. 19, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov seemed very optimistic, and he was quoted as saying that "the meeting was useful" and the parties to the talks "agreed on all key issues." Yet Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif acted in a discreet manner when the former talked about bridging the gaps between the three parties and the latter did not disclose much.
Although these meetings can be seen as a sign of a growing cooperation between the three parties, they can also be interpreted as a reflection of distrust between them. When it comes to Russia's agenda in Syria, both Ankara and Tehran have their own fears as they are concerned that Moscow might exploit them at some point to achieve its own goals.
Over the last 11 months, the three countries managed to work tactically on selective matters in order to maximize their gains in the short term in Syria. However, as the battle against the Islamic State (IS) is coming to an end and the topics on which they can agree shrink, each party fears that Russia will conclude side agreements at their own expense, hence the growing distrust between the three players.
For Turkey, the issue of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and People's Protection Units (YPG) is a priority right now. In a Daily Sabah column, Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin summed up his country's six grand goals in Syria, reiterating that "the question of the PYD-YPG remains a red line for Turkey."
Russia's position on this matter is vague at best when it comes to Ankara's crucial interests, but pro-Kurdish when it comes to Moscow's own interests. In a shattered region where failed states are flourishing, minorities tend to be more valuable for foreign powers. While Russia clearly doesn't want to leave the Kurds to the United States, it also wants to use them to gain influence and leverage when needed, whether it be against Turkey, Iran or even Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In January, Russia presented a draft constitution for the new Syria. The draft constitution guarantees the Kurds inflated powers far greater than their size to the extent that even the Assad regime had refused them. Apparently, Moscow did not consult with Ankara on this matter despite the fact that both are supposed to be coordinating the Astana platform.
Last month, Putin expressed the will to host the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi. Moscow, which does not list the Kurdistan Workers Party, the PYD and the YPG as terrorist organizations, invited the PYD, causing a backlash after Turkey and the Syrian opposition objected.
Again, it was obvious that Moscow had not coordinated this step with Ankara. Most importantly, by doing this Russia appeared to be ignoring an already well-known Turkish red line, thus raising questions in Ankara about its real intentions.
Explaining this situation, Kerim Has, a lecturer at Moscow State University, told Al-Monitor, "Turkish-Russian cooperation is not a product of strategic planning. Ankara is well aware that it needs to cooperate with Russia to have a seat around the table about Syria's future, while Moscow also needs Ankara's support to realize Russia's own geopolitical aims in Syria and the Middle East region in general."
He added, "There are a lot of diverging issues between Turkey and Russia, but the Kurdish PYD issue is the most critical one right now. Neither Ankara nor Moscow trusts each other as there is an inevitable partnership based on selective cooperation, and this is why the relations between the two countries are very fragile now."
Last week, Putin and US President Donald Trump issued a joint statement stressing that there is no military solution for the conflict in Syria, and there is a need to support the UN-backed Geneva political process. One day later, reports emerged citing a bilateral agreement between Russia and the United States on a cease-fire deal in southern Syria that would include the expulsion of the Iranian-backed militias from the border areas in the Golan Heights.
Russia immediately denied the existence of such a deal, and Lavrov maintained that Moscow made no such pledges to ensure the withdrawal of pro-Iranian forces from Syria. Commenting on the issue, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi responded, "Iran has been fully informed by the Russians on the cease-fire agreement. No agreement would be successful without taking the realities on the ground into account."
The situation on the ground suggests that Iran has the biggest non-regular army in Syria, which consists of tens of thousands of Shiite militia fighters. Many regional and international players would like to see those militias leave Syria. The eroding and defeat of IS is shifting the focus again to pro-Iran militias, which makes Tehran very anxious about its situation in Syria.
Contrary to Ghassemi's calm response, a well-informed source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, "[Iran] is never comfortable whenever Russia sits with the United States, Israel or Turkey. [Tehran] does not take what the Kremlin says for granted, especially when it comes to its own agenda in Syria."
The source gave examples of bilateral agreements between Russia and these countries, stressing, "As Iran is the most powerful player on the ground, [their] ultimate purpose is to hinder [Iran's] influence in Syria."
Clarifying the complicated nature of relations between Iran and Russia, Hakki Uygur, the vice director of the Ankara-based Center for Iranian Studies, told Al-Monitor, "If there is just one word we could use [to describe] Iran's foreign policy, it would be distrust."
He said, "For Iran, Russia is not an exception on this matter, taking into consideration historic and recent experiences with each other on various issues. Tehran knows that Moscow has its own agenda in Syria with Western powers that are not in line with that of Iran - whether it be regarding the 'axis of resistance issue' or Assad. That's why each actor tries to engage with a maximum number of allies and does not want to take the risk of being alone in such a complicated conflict area."
State dealings are not based on trust but interests. However, there are reasons why these three countries have been able to cooperate with each other until now despite the growing distrust between them. One of the reasons could be their position vis-a-vis the US position in Syria. Yet to what extent this situation can be sustained is questionable.
From Tehran to Quneitra: Iran's 'Land Bridge' is Almost Complete - By Jonathan Spyer -
In the east of Syria, the so-called race to Abu Kamal between the US-supported Syrian Democratic Forces and the forces of Iran, the Assad regime and Russia appears to be close to conclusion - in the latter's favor. Regime forces moved into the town last Thursday. They were then expelled by an unexpected Islamic State counterattack this week, and have now retreated to positions about two kilometers outside of Abu Kamal.
The Islamic State move, however, has the flavor of a last roll of the dice. Clearly, the Sunni jihadis will lose the strategic border town in the days ahead.
The US-supported SDF are covering ground rapidly to the north. But the forward units of the mainly Kurdish force remain about 25 kilometers north of Abu Kamal, in the area of the Kishma oil field.
Abu Kamal is the last link in the much-discussed Iranian "land bridge" from the Iraq-Iran border to the Mediterranean Sea and the border with Israel.
Control of the border crossing at al-Qaim/Abu Kamal and of the roads leading west from it will enable the Iran-led regional alliance to transport fighters and weaponry in both directions, according to choice. It will mean that in a future confrontation with Hezbollah, Israel could see its enemies reinforced by supplies and volunteers from among other Iranian clients, in precisely the way that took place with such effect in the Syrian war.
Of course, such efforts would not be invulnerable to Israeli attention from the air, and would not confer an irreversible advantage on the Iranian side. But given the Iranian weakness in aviation, the land bridge would vastly increase the options and abilities of the Iranian side.
It is worth noting in this regard that in recent days Iraqi Shi'a militias crossed the border by land for the first time in the Syrian war, to join the battle against Islamic State in the Abu Kamal area.
The land bridge would convey economic advantages as well as strategic ones. It would allow for the transport of Iraqi oil to regime-controlled Syria, bypassing the area currently controlled by the SDF. This will be important in the reconstruction period ahead, regardless of the precise lines of control within Syria.
The imminent conclusion of conventional operations against the last remnants of Islamic State in eastern Syria will in turn bring with it a moment of crucial decision for the United States. A central facet of events in recent months in Syria has been the absence of a clear US strategy. The de facto relationship between US air power and special forces and the Kurdish YPG has proved to be a successful military partnership. This force, not the Assad/Iran/Russia side, is responsible for the greater part of the victory against Islamic State in Syria. Indeed, the regime side's belated push east came precisely to limit the territorial gains of the US-backed SDF.
But throughout, there has been a clear discrepancy between the military support afforded to the SDF and the complete absence of recognition by the US or any other Western power of the broader Kurdish-led political project in northern Syria.
The Federation of Northern Syria, declared by the Syrian Kurdish leadership on March 17, 2016, indeed lacks the recognition of any other country.
Officially speaking, the reason for US involvement in eastern Syria has been the war against Islamic State. Neither more nor less. At the same time, there is evidence of extensive US military construction in Kurdish-controlled eastern Syria. Airstrips and bases have been built in Rumeilan, Manbij and Kobani. The powerful Saudi official Thamer al-Sabhan visited SDF-controlled eastern Syria in late October, accompanied by Brett McGurk, US special envoy to the coalition against Islamic State. The purpose of the visit, according to a Reuters report, was to discuss the reconstruction of Raqqa city.
All these snippets might suggest that the US has longer-term intentions in eastern Syria and does not mean to merely abandon its erstwhile allies, once the task of destroying the Islamic State "caliphate" is done.
A statement by US Defense Secretary James Mattis this week supported this impression. He noted that the US does not intend to "walk away right now before the Geneva process has traction," and would fight Islamic State "for as long as they want to fight," in order to prevent the emergence of "ISIS 2.0."
If the US does decide to stay in eastern Syria, it will need to consider the logistics of how to supply this area, against the wishes of all neighboring entities. The Assad regime has already made clear that once Islamic State is defeated, it intends to reunify the entire area of Syria.
Turkey is opposed to the Syrian Kurdish enclave because of its links to the PKK. And the Abadi government in Baghdad, while happy to receive US weaponry and training, is, in fact, the ally of Assad and Iran, and as such also opposes the US-aligned Syrian Kurds. Up until last month, the pro-US Iraqi Kurds controlled two border crossings to their Syrian brethren. But these were lost to the Iraqis and the Shi'a militias in the military action that followed the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum of September 25. So a difficult decision awaits the US. Much will depend on the choice made. But in any event, since the conquest of Abu Kamal by Iran and its allies looks inevitable, even if the US chooses to stick with its current allies in eastern Syria, this will not prevent the Iranian land bridge from coming into being. It is already a fait accompli.
From an Israeli point of view, this is a cause for concern. Israel's focus is not related mainly to the Syria-Iraqi border, of course, but to the southwesternmost part of the corridor - where it is set to nudge up against the Quneitra crossing and the Israeli-controlled part of the Golan Heights.
The joint statement by President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin released on November 10 fails, in Jerusalem's view, to adequately address the issue of Iranian and Iran-supported forces close to Israel's border. The statement issues no timetable for the withdrawal of these forces. And Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted on Tuesday as dismissing any notion that Russia had promised the withdrawal of Iranian groups from Syria.
It is unlikely, in any case, that Russia could bring about the unilateral withdrawal of its Iranian ally from its hard-won corridor. Iran is not dependent on Russia and pursues its own agenda in Syria.
Israel has stated clearly that it will continue to act to ensure its security.
What this means, in practice, is that as the Iranians continue to solidify and extend their gains in Syria, so the likelihood of direct friction between this project and Israel's enforcement of redlines will grow.
Tehran is presently pressing forward. The key issue of the extent to which the US will continue to be a player in this arena is set to be resolved in the weeks ahead. But whatever the US decision, the taking of the dusty, al-Qaim/Abu Kamal crossing is set to turn Iran's land bridge, from Tehran to Quneitra, from an objective into an established fact.
Putin summons Assad to Sochi, takes charge of shaping post-war Syria -
President Vladimir Putin and Syria's Bashar Assad agreed in Sochi on Monday, Nov. 20, to start addressing Syria's political situation now that the "terrorists" are defeated and the war is drawing to a close.
Putin insisted that diplomacy for a Syrian post-war settlement should go forward under UN aegis. Assad replied that he hoped for "Russia's help in ensuring that the Syrians themselves lead the process, with help from outside, but not 'interference.'"
The Syrian ruler would accept an external UN frame, but is clearly opposed to any outside attempts by the UN or anyone else to interfere in the country's internal political dialogue or try to impose solutions on the parties.
That much is evident from the official accounts of the Sochi meeting. Its real content may be quite different. It stands to reason that Putin leaned hard on his guest to make sure that Assad toed the Moscow line.
The Russian president then announced he would be spending the next day in telephone consultations on Syria's future with US President Donald Trump and a number of Middle East leaders. Word on what transpired at the Sochi interview and in those phone calls will most likely emerge in reports from Moscow and Damascus in the coming days.
Meanwhile, DEBKAfile's Middle East and Russian sources fill in some of the context:
Putin and Assad may have shaken hands in token of the Syrian war's end, but both are perfectly aware that it is not yet over. One main stage, the defeat of the Islamic State and liberation of the territory it occupied, is more or less in the bag. But although most Syrian rebel groups have been broken, the civil rebellion persists.
There is no indication of a silent contest said to be afoot between Russia and Iran for the domination of post-war Syria. For now, they complement each other, which each assigned a slice of territorial influence. The Russian army controls parts of the Mediterranean coastland, while Iran is extending its control of the Damascus region and Syria's two border regions with Lebanon and Iraq and their highway connections. Close teamwork is also apparent on the battlefield with Russia actively supporting Iran and Hezbollah.
The Sochi meeting was only the beginning of a long and difficult diplomatic process that could go on for many months, if not years, punctuated with ups and downs, pauses and outbreaks of hostilities.
Bashar Assad survived more than seven years of a vicious and grueling war and emerged as the winner. He may well try to repeat this feat in the diplomatic contest over Syria's political future.
On Wednesday, Nov. 22, the next steps in Syria will be discussed at a meeting of Russian, Turkish and Iranian leaders. (It is not yet clear if attendance will be at head-of-state or foreign ministerial level). Syria will not be present. Therefore, this trilateral forum will be in charge.
On the same day, Saudi Arabia has scheduled a meeting of Syrian opposition leaders in Riyadh.
A week hence, on Nov. 28, the UN-sponsored conference on the Syria crisis convenes in Geneva in which the US has a major stake..
Don't Be Alarmed But, The Next War In The Middle East Is Brewing - Sean Durns -
The next war in the Middle East is brewing. Yet some policymakers and pundits are missing the buildup and, in some cases, missing the battle lines. Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed, Lebanese-based Shi'ite terror group is preparing to go to war with Israel - once again.
Hezbollah and Israel last fought a war in 2006. That conflict lasted 34 days and resulted in numerous deaths - many of them Israeli civilians either targeted by Hezbollah or Lebanese civilians used as "human shields" by the terror group. This double war crime is part of Hezbollah's self-stated goal of destroying the Jewish state. And it will be a key component of Hezbollah's strategy in the coming conflict.
A recent study by the High Level Military Group (HLMG), "Hezbollah's Terror Army: How to Prevent a Third Lebanon War," highlights the terror group's intentions. Formed in 2015, HLMG consists of military leaders and officials from NATO and other democratic countries exploring the challenges of warfare in the 21st century.
According to HLMG member Col. Richard Kemp, the former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, there is a "high probability" that Hezbollah will initiate another war. Hezbollah, Kemp said, knows that a future war would "necessarily result in extensive civilian casualties, especially in Southern Lebanon." In fact, this is precisely what Hezbollah desires as "the group is counting on a high casualty count to turn the international community against Israel, recognizing that many governments automatically isolate and even vilify the country whenever it defends itself against enemy attacks."
Lord Richard Dannatt, the British Army's former chief of staff has pointed out that "the group has transformed most Shi'ite villages in southern Lebanon into assets that provide infrastructure, recruitment, storage and access to underground tunnels designed for warfare."
The press frequently failed to note Hezbollah's strategy of using human shields during the 2006 conflict. HLMG members have stated that a failure to be clear about this tactic is likely to further embolden Hezbollah, thus increasing the likelihood of war.
Hezbollah's participation in the civil war in Syria, where it worked for its Iranian masters to shore up the rule of dictator Bashar al-Assad, has made the group battle-hardened and enhanced its fighting capabilities.
Dannatt notes that Hezbollah has "integrated a new armor support unit complete with modern tanks. It also has hundreds of unmanned aerial vehicles, advanced air defense systems, coast-to-sea cruise missiles and significant intelligence capabilities." Hezbollah's improved technological abilities are matched with an increased arsenal. The group has more than 100,000 rockets - 10 times as many as it had in the last war. Some of these weapons have advanced guidance and extended range which could allow them to hit major Israeli cities.
Hezbollah has an estimated 25,000 fighters - approximately 5,000 of whom have received advanced training in Iran - and 20,000 reserve operatives. The Shi'ite organization's current stature has led the former chief of staff of the British Army to declare that Hezbollah can "carry out operations at the company or battalion level."
In short: Hezbollah is more of an army than an ad-hoc terror group. And the population of southern Lebanon is at its disposal, as well as elements of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
Some observers have sought to obfuscate on the Lebanese government's cooperation with Hezbollah. A July 25, 2017 Washington Post Op-Ed by Beirut-based journalism professor Nora Boustany and writer Daniel Williams presented the country as "beleaguered" and facing a threat from a "bellicose" Israel. Lebanon, they claimed, was merely caught between Hezbollah and the Jewish state.
A recent commentary in The Hill, while detailing Hezbollah's military buildup within Lebanon's borders - and the damage a future war would bring - suggested that the LAF "has proven to be credible and independent." Although the article correctly identified Iran as pulling Hezbollah's strings, it omitted worrying instances of collaboration between the terror group and the U.S.-funded LAF.
U.S. support for the LAF is predicated on the successful implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1701, which, among other things, call for all militias in Lebanon to be disarmed. Not only has Hezbollah not disarmed, but it also has been supported by the Lebanese state in flaunting these U.N.S.C. resolutions.
Lebanon's president and commander-in-chief, Michel Aoun, was correctly described as a "Hezbollah ally" by The Washington Post when he took office in October 2016. In a Feb. 12, 2016 interview with Egypt's CBC, Aoun said that Hezbollah's "arms are not contrary to the state project; otherwise we could have not tolerated it. It is an essential part of Lebanon's defense." He even described Hezbollah as a "complement" to the LAF. Indeed, on Nov. 4, 2017, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri - decrying Iran's influence in the country - resigned.
Tony Badran, an analyst of Lebanese politics with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, has pointed out that the LAF has even conducted joint operations with Hezbollah - and had the audacity to do so while then-Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri was visiting the U.S. in July 2016, seeking military aid for his/Hezbollah's country. Hezbollah head Hassan Nasrallah has even announced joint operations between the LAF and the terror group - responsible for murdering more Americans than any other save al-Qaeda - before they occur.
Nasrallah routinely threatens the United States and calls for Israel's destruction. Yet, members of his terror group sit in Lebanon's parliament and hold cabinet ministries.
The next war in the Middle East is taking shape. Hezbollah, an appendage of Tehran, is armed to the teeth and, from behind human shields and LAF components, taking aim at the Jewish state.
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Is Iran Trying to Bring Islamic End-of-Days in Syria? - By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz -
"Behold, I am sending My messenger to clear the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek shall come to His Temple suddenly. As for the angel of the covenant that you desire, he is already coming." Malachi 3:1 (The Israel Bible�)
Iran is establishing bases in Syria, but according to some sources, their preparations to engage Israel are motivated far more by Messianic aspirations than military or political ones.
Iran has frequently stated its desire to desire to destroy Israel, claiming the Jewish state as the focus of its nuclear and long-range missile program. Iran has also funneled millions of dollars into proxy enemies of Israel, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
According to Debka, a Middle East military analysis site, Iran is now stepping up its pace, having established 13 military installations in Syria. Some experts see behind this a sinister desire for the end of the world - Islam style.
Indeed, the escalation of Iranian military efforts in Syria are religiously motivated, Ryan Mauro, a political analyst for the Clarion Project, explained in a recent interview.
"This isn't normal competition between hostile powers, this isn't even the normal Iranian sponsorship of terrorism or attempts to expand their military presence," Mauro said. "To the Iranian regime this is the fulfillment of prophecy."
Mauro pointed out that new Iranian troops are called Ansar al-Mahdi ("Supporters of the Messiah"). It has also created a 313th brigade, into which it is is recruiting young Syrian Shiites. According to tradition in Shiite Islam, 313 is the number of fighters that will arrive with the Mahdi, the Islamic Messiah.
Islam's tradition holds that Mahdi is the redeemer of Islam. The arrival of Mahdi will coincide with the arrival of the Christian messiah, who will be the Mahdi's assistant in fighting the Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah, or anti-Christ.
According to the tradition, the Mahdi will reappear along with Jesus, who will declare himself a Muslim, and kill Christians who refuse to convert. Shia Islam holds that the end-of-days will be a bloody battle, killing off two-thirds of the world population and leaving the rest to convert to Islam.
The concept of Mahdi is explicit in Iranian politics. In a speech in front of the UN General Assembly in 2008, former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad left the gathered politicians aghast as he explicitly begged Allah to hasten the return of the Mahdi.
"You are not dealing with fully rational actors," Mauro said. "You can be irrational and strategic and pragmatic at the same time, which is what Iran is doing. If you understand these prophecies, you can understand Iran."
Mauro explained that according to Shiite theology, Iran believes they will lead the battle against Sunni adversaries, continue down into Israel, and eventually take over Jerusalem. He believes that the recent destabilization in Saudi Arabia is a direct result of Iran's apocalyptic agenda.
Debka editor Giora Shamis agreed. "The basis of Iran's policy is based on spreading Shiite Islam and making it the dominant religion in the world," Shamis told Breaking Israel News.
"The Iranian revolution in 1978 was solely a religious movement focused in a religious battle against America. This is being carried out today in the smallest details. It is impossible to discuss the Iranians or their actions in the region without taking into account their religious agenda."
Saudi Arabia and Arab allies push for unity against Iran, Hezbollah -
Saudi Arabia and other Arab foreign ministers criticized Iran and its Lebanese Shi'ite ally Hezbollah at an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday, calling for a united front to counter Iranian interference.
Regional tensions have risen in recent weeks between Sunni monarchy Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Islamist Iran over Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's surprise resignation, and an escalation in Yemen's conflict.
Hariri, a Saudi ally, resigned on November 4 from Riyadh, accusing Iran and Hezbollah of spreading strife. But Lebanese President Michel Aoun and other politicians accused Saudi Arabia of holding Hariri hostage and said he had been coerced into resigning. Saudi Arabia and Hariri both deny that.
Hezbollah, both a military force involved in Syria's war and a political movement, is part of a Lebanese government made up of rival factions, and an ally of Aoun.
Saudi Arabia also accuses Hezbollah of a role in the launch of a missile towards Riyadh from Yemen this month. Iran denies accusations that it supplies Houthi forces there.
"The kingdom will not stand by and will not hesitate to defend its security," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir told the assembly. "We must stand together."
The emergency Arab foreign ministers' meeting was convened at the request of Saudi Arabia with support from the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait to discuss means of confronting Iranian intervention.
In a declaration after the meeting, the Arab League accused Hezbollah of "supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab countries with advanced weapons and ballistic missiles." It said Arab nations would provide details to the UN Security Council of Tehran's violations for arming militias in Yemen.
Lebanon's Arab League representative objected to the declaration accusing Hezbollah of terrorism and said it is part of Lebanon's government, the Hezbollah-affiliated Manar television channel reported.
United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Twitter later that the declaration was a "clear message" about joint Arab action against Iran.
Yemen's civil war pits the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia and its allies, against the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
"Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss," Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
"Unfortunately countries like the Saudi regime are pursuing divisions and creating differences, and because of this they don't see any results other than divisions," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif told Iranian state media on Sunday on the sidelines of a meeting in Antalya.
Egypt's foreign minister received a call from US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Sunday when they also discussed regional tensions over Lebanon, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
After French intervention, Hariri flew to France and met President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Saturday. He will arrive in Cairo for a visit on Tuesday, his office said.
Speaking in Paris, Hariri said he would clarify his position when he returns to Beirut in the coming days. He said he would take part in Lebanese independence day celebrations, scheduled for Wednesday.
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Just a Matter of Time - By Daymond Duck -
Iran's growing domination of Syria and Lebanon (with Russia's consent) has brought Israel and Lebanon to the threshold of war, but this looming conflict doesn't appear to be an ordinary war. It is shaping up like a prophesied war with implications for the Rapture, Tribulation Period and more.
War broke out between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. It ended 34 days later with a UN-sponsored ceasefire that required the UN to disarm unidentified militant forces (Hezbollah) in Lebanon and to prevent those forces from re-arming.
But Hezbollah (means the party of God) refused to disarm, and the UN never did anything about it. Hezbollah even increased its weapons and troops and undermined the Lebanese government, and the UN remained dormant.
On Nov. 4, 2017, Lebanon's Prime Minister fled the country and resigned for fear of being assassinated. His resignation left the nation of Lebanon in chaos.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait have withdrawn their money from Lebanese banks. Some say this will collapse the Lebanese economy.
Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait also ordered their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible. They even told their citizens that live outside of Lebanon not to go there. They desperately want world leaders (especially the U.S. and Israel) to stop Iran's interference in the affairs of other nations.
Israel has accused Russia and Iran of trying to take over the Middle East. Israel has started moving troops and weapons to its border with Lebanon.
Hezbollah has 150,000-200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. Israel said she won't go after those rockets and missiles one at a time. Israel will seek a quick victory because Israel knows that her troops may have to fight on several fronts. She knows that she could be Russia's and Iran's next target.
Hezbollah's leaders admit that they unintentionally started the war with Israel in 2006. They say they don't want war right now, but one could easily be started unintentionally.
On Nov. 11, 2017, Pres. Trump met Russian Pres. Putin in Vietnam. At Israel's insistence, Pres. Trump tried to get Pres. Putin to agree to a 30-40 km (roughly 18 to 25 miles) buffer zone to keep Russian, Iranian, Syrian and Hezbollah troops farther away from Israel's border with Syria. Pres. Putin did not agree to that.
Syria sent a drone over the buffer zone (presumably with Russian approval). Israel shot it down.
Iran and Hezbollah want to build bases in the proposed buffer zone, but Israel said she will not allow it. Prime Minister Netanyahu said Israel will protect her borders and act in Syria as Israel sees fit.
To add fuel to the fire, Iran supports Houthi rebels in Yemen. On Nov. 4, 2017, the Houthis fired an Iranian missile at Saudi Arabia's International Airport. The Saudis shot it down.
Saudi Arabia accused Iran of committing an act of war against Saudi Arabia by supplying the Houthis with the missile. Iran responded by threatening to send more missiles to the Houthis.
The Saudis want Iran taken out, but they are not strong enough to do it by themselves. They are pleading with the U.S. and Israel to help them.
It could happen. The U.S. wants Saudi Arabia to help them get a peace treaty in the Middle East, and Israel wants Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish nation.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman, has instructed PA Pres. Mahmoud Abbas to accept Pres. Trump's Middle East peace proposals. He has also told Mr. Abbas to cut the PA's ties with Hezbollah.
All of this comes down to the fact that the Middle East could explode at any time. If something isn't done to calm the situation soon (and hopefully it will), Israel and Lebanon (Hezbollah); or Israel and Syria; or Israel and Russia, Iran and others could find themselves in a very deadly war.
Any one of these wars could draw in the Palestinians, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and others and could quickly turn into a full-blown regional conflict that fulfills several end-of-the-age prophecies.
Related to all of this is the fact that prophecy teachers are divided on which comes first: The Rapture or these wars. It is not clear, but it is just a matter of time until we have the answer.
Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
Gog and Magog Alignment: Russia, Iran, Turkey agree to advance Syrian peace - Vladimir Isachenkov and Sarah El Deeb -
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia hosts Syrian opposition groups in effort to unite them ahead of Geneva peace talks
The leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran on Wednesday discussed ways to promote a peaceful settlement in Syria, including the return of refugees, humanitarian aid and prisoners' exchange, while fractured Syrian opposition groups were meeting in Saudi Arabia in a bid to overcome their divisions and form a united front for Syrian peace talks in Geneva.
"Militants in Syria have received a decisive blow, and there is a real chance to put an end to the civil war that has raged for many years," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the start of talks with Turkish and Iranian counterparts in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.
Putin noted that political settlement will require concessions from all sides, including Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.
Assad made a surprise trip to Russia late Monday for talks with Putin, which the Kremlin said were intended to lay the groundwork for Wednesday's trilateral meeting.
Speaking after the three-way talks, Putin said the Syrian leader pledged to conduct constitutional reforms and hold new elections under UN supervision.
"The process of reforms isn't going to be easy and will require concessions and compromises from all those involved, including the Syrian government," he said.
In their joint statement after the talks, Putin, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized the need for all parties in the Syrian conflict to release all prisoners and hostages, hand over bodies and search for those missing to help create conditions for a lasting cease-fire and the launch of political talks.
They also called on other countries to provide humanitarian aid, clear Syrian territory of mines and restore vital infrastructure destroyed by the war.
"We have reached a consensus on helping the transition to an inclusive, free, fair and transparent political process that will be carried out under the leadership and ownership of the Syrian people," Erdogan said.
Even though Russia and Iran have backed Assad's government since the start of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, while Turkey has supported his foes, the three countries have teamed up to help mediate a peace settlement.
They have sponsored several rounds of talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in Astana, Kazakhstan, and also have brokered a truce between Syria's government and the rebels in four areas, helping reduce hostilities.
UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq, asked about the trilateral meeting of the leaders, said: "Our focus remains on the meetings that will begin in Geneva on November 28. We hope that all the other processes that are underway will contribute to a successful round of talks in Geneva."
Meanwhile, the UN envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura spoke at the opening of a three-day gathering of the Syrian opposition in Riyadh, where around 30 opposition groups are expected to come up with a unified delegation and a vision for the Geneva talks.
De Mistura said he planned to have two rounds of talks in Geneva in December. He is set to travel to Moscow later this week.
"It is our common interest that today, you elect the best and most inclusive team among yourselves," de Mistura said. "A strong, unified team is a creative partner in Geneva and we need that."
The Riyadh meeting, however, has already been marred with disagreements. The notoriously fragmented opposition is divided by visions of a future role for Assad, the length of a transitional period as well as the constitution that will see the country move toward elections.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said in opening remarks that the opposition meeting comes amid international consensus to reach a resolution.
"There is no resolution to the crisis without Syrian consensus that achieves the demands of the Syrian people and ends their suffering," al-Jubeir said.
Russia, which has welcomed the Saudi efforts to unify the opposition, will also be hosting a meeting in Sochi that's expected to bring the opposition and Syrian government together in early December. Turkey and Iran pledged Wednesday to help the success of that meeting.
Earlier this month, the first attempt to convene it failed amid differences, reportedly including the participation of Kurds.
Turkey sees US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters as a terror group and an extension of Kurdish militants that have waged a three-decade-long insurgency inside its borders.
Erdogan on Wednesday strongly reaffirmed Turkey's objection to Kurdish Syrian militia playing a part in negotiations on Syria's future.
"The exclusion from the process of terrorist elements that target Syria's political unity and territorial integrity as well as our national security will continue to remain our priority," he said. "No one should expect us to come under the same roof, to appear on the same platform as a terror organization."
Russia has been involved in a delicate diplomatic dance, trying to engage the Kurds without offending Turkey. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, dodged a question about Kurdish participation in the planned Sochi meeting, saying only that it should be "inclusive."
Putin, whose military intervention in the war saved Assad's government from imminent defeat, called US President Donald Trump, Saudi King Salman, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi on Tuesday to brief them on his talks with Assad and coordinate the planned peace efforts.
Putin's broad outreach highlighted a key role Russia has come to play in the Syrian conflict and reflected Moscow's desire to engage all key players.
Some of the opposition delegations in Riyadh are backed by Gulf countries, which had sided with the anti-Assad rebellion, while others have been supported by Russia. Another opposition group is backed by Egypt, which has also kept contacts with the Syrian government.
The Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV said some members of the Russia-backed delegation withdrew from the meeting. A member of the delegation, Qadri Jamil, said they backed out to object other delegations putting conditions on the talks, including limiting a future role for Assad. The Russia-backed opposition is promoting political reform under Assad's rule.
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Iran army chief vows next war will see 'eradication' of Israel - By Eytan Halon - http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Iran-army-chief-vows-next-war-will-see-eradication-of-Israel-515103
Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the chief commander of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), issued new threats against Israel on Thursday, vowing that any future conflict will be the Jewish state's last.
"It is a proven claim that today we say any new war will lead to the eradication of the Zionist regime," said Jafari at a Tehran press conference, according to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency.
Jafari also told reporters that Lebanon is Israel's primary target today and that "resistance" experienced by Israel in previous conflicts with Iran-backed Hezbollah and Hamas was minor in comparison to their current capabilities.
"They have seen a part of the resistance front's power during the 33-day and 22-day wars and today that the great resistance front has been formed, this word has been proven," said Jafari, referring to the Second Lebanon War in 2006 and Operation Cast Lead in 2008-2009.
Jafari added that Iran and other groups will come to the aid of Hezbollah should they be attacked by Israel.
"The fate of the resistance front is interwoven and they all stand united and if Israel attacks a part of it, the other component of the front will help it," he said.
Reiterating remarks made on Wednesday, the IRGC chief rejected demands that Hezbollah be disarmed.
"This issue is not negotiable and the entire Lebanese nation, except a number of little puppet groups, support Hezbollah's weapon."
On Wednesday, Jafari said that "Hezbollah must be armed to fight against the enemy of the Lebanese nation which is Israel. Naturally they should have the best weapons to protect Lebanon's security. This issue is non-negotiable."
Jafari's comments follow an Arab League meeting in Cairo on Sunday, called by Saudi Arabia, during which Arab foreign ministers condemned both Iran and Hezbollah for their role in spreading violence in the region.
In a joint declaration, opposed only by Lebanon and Iraq, the umbrella organization accused Hezbollah of "supporting terrorism and extremist groups in Arab countries with advanced weapons and ballistic missiles."
Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said that "Iranian threats have gone beyond all limits and pushed the region into a dangerous abyss."
The role of Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon and the wider Middle East has been at the forefront of regional politics since Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri's sudden resignation on November 4 sparked a sharp rise in tensions between Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shi'ite Iran.
Hariri subsequently shelved his resignation after returning to Lebanon on Wednesday in favor of dialogue, as per Hezbollah-allied Lebanese President Michel Aoun's request.
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