Unconditional US withdrawal essential for peace in Syria

Iran’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Amir Saeed Iravani made the remarks at a UN Security Council session on “The situation in the Middle East: (Syria)” on Tuesday.

The following is the full text of Iravani’s speech.

Thank you, Mr. President,

We thank Ms. Nejat Roshdi, Deputy Special Envoy, and Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, the Director of the Coordination Division, OCHA, for their briefings.

Mr. President,

The Syrian people continue to suffer from humanitarian crises, aggression, foreign occupation, and terrorism.

Through unlawful occupation, inhumane sanctions, politicizing the return of refugees and IDPs, and preventing international support for Syria’s reconstruction, certain Western countries are responsible for the prolongation of the conflict as they attempt to impose their own will on the Syrian people.

Such attempts are unlawful and immoral and serve only to prolong the crisis and worsen the suffering endured by the Syrian people.

The international community must not leave the Syrian people alone in their struggle against terrorism, foreign occupation, and the economic terrorism caused by unlawful sanctions.

The sovereignty, political independence, unity and territorial integrity of Syria must be fully respected by all as was mandated by the Security Council resolutions.

Any separatist agendas and illegitimate self-rule initiatives must be rejected and all foreign forces whose presence is illegal in the territory of Syria by the Syrian Government must withdraw from Syria.

In this context, the full, immediate, and unconditional withdrawal of US forces from Syria is essential for the peace and stability of Syria.

Instead of combatting terrorism, they continue supporting UN-designated terrorist groups such as Al-Nusrah Front (Hayat Tahrir al-Sham) as well as looting the oil and wealth of the Syrian people.

Combating terrorists in Syria must be continued until the full removal of their threats. This must be done with the utmost care for the lives of civilians.

Terrorists must not be allowed to continue taking a large number of civilians as hostages and turn places like Idlib into their safe haven.

We strongly condemn Israel’s continued aggressions against Syria’s sovereignty, targeting civilians and vital infrastructure. The occupation of the Syrian Golan by this occupying regime is unlawful.

Mr. President,

Iran remains committed to a political resolution of the situation in Syria and will continue supporting a truly Syrian-led, Syrian-owned, UN-facilitated political process.

The resumption of the meetings of the Constitutional Committee as an effective mechanism for advancing the political process is necessary.

It must operate without any external interference or pressure or setting any artificial deadline to conclude its work.

We continue to support the efforts of the United Nations and the Special Envoy, Mr. Pedersen, for the political settlement of the Syrian crisis. Iran will spare no efforts to that end.

In this context, we support the special envoy’s efforts to resume the ninth round of constitutional discussions in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq as a viable option that has received support from most parties involved.

Along with our Astana format partners, we are committed to working towards long-term and sustainable normalization in and around Syria.

Mr. President,

Parallel to the political process, international efforts must continue to facilitate Syria’s reconstruction and the safe return of refugees and IDPs to their original places of residence in Syria.

The interest of millions of Syrian refugees must not be held hostage for political gains by certain powers. The humanitarian community faces its most challenging funding landscape. The Humanitarian Response Plan for 2024 requiring $ 4.07 billion is only 13.4 percent funded significantly less at this time than last year.

It is regrettable that Western countries have ignored the dire humanitarian and economic situation on the ground and continue to pursue their political agenda at all costs.

We call on donors to fulfill their pledges and we hope their support will ensure sufficient and predictable funding.

We commend the tireless efforts of UN agencies and humanitarian partners in their work towards alleviating the suffering of the Syrian people.

However, preventing the diversion of aid to terrorist organizations in the northwest region and ensuring transparent and non-discriminatory aid distribution are essential aspects that need careful consideration.

We emphasize the need for unhindered humanitarian access through cross-line routes, and in full coordination with the Syrian government.

As we have said before, providing immediate assistance is crucial but not a sustainable solution in the long term.

Efforts must focus on rebuilding critical infrastructure to create conditions for the safe return of refugees and IDPs.

I thank you.