Brahimi arrives in Tehran for Syria crisis talks

UN-Arab League Special Representative for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi has arrived in Tehran to hold talks with Iranian officials on the ongoing crisis in the Arab country.

Brahimi was welcomed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry officials upon his arrival in Tehran on Sunday.

The UN-Arab League Special envoy is scheduled to exchange views with Iranian officials about the latest developments in Syria, political approaches to resolve the country’s crisis and dispatching humanitarian aid to the crisis-hit nation.

Brahimi plans to hold a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday prior to the latter’s departure for Vienna, Austria, to attend a fresh round of talks with six major world powers on Tehran’s nuclear energy program.

Brahimi will also meet with Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani.

The Iranian foreign minister on Saturday once again voiced the Islamic Republic’s support for a political solution to the crisis in Syria.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always stressed that Syria crisis can only be solved through political means,” Zarif said, adding that Iran will continue to support rational efforts aimed at helping the Syrian nation to find a political solution to the conflict in the Arab country.
Syria has been gripped by deadly violence since 2011. Some sources say around 130,000 people have been killed and millions of others displaced due to the violence fueled by Western-backed militants.

Saudi Arabia along with Qatar and Turkey are viewed as major supporters of militants fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

Two rounds of recent talks hosted by Brahimi have been held in Switzerland but made no progress in putting an end to the crisis in Syria.