Iran backs Syria peace restoration, elections: Rouhani

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has reaffirmed the Islamic Republic’s support for the restoration of peace and security in Syria, saying free elections are the only solution to the ongoing crisis.

“Iran supports restoration of security, stability and free elections in Syria,” Rouhani said in a Wednesday meeting with Syria’s parliament speaker Mohammad Jihad al-Laham, who is in Tehran to participate in a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation Member States (PUOICM).

The Iranian president hailed the Syrian government’s stance in the recent round of peace talks known as the Geneva 2 Conference aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis.

During the Geneva II conference, the foreign-backed Syrian opposition, the so-called Syrian National Coalition (SNC) repeated its demand that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad step down.

The Syrian government rejected the demand, arguing that the foreign-backed SNC does not represent the Syrian opposition.

Highlighting that holding free elections is the ultimate solution to the crisis, Rouhani said that “it is very important for Iran that Syria reaches stability and becomes ready to hold such elections.”

Laham, for his part, hailed the Iranian president’s proposal of a World Against Violence and Extremism (WAVE) which was unanimously adopted as a UN resolution.

He said that the resolution could have a positive impact in countering terrorism in the region and the world.

Syria has been grappling with a deadly crisis since March 2011. Reports say over 130,000 people have so far been killed and millions displaced due to the foreign-backed violence.

The Western powers and their regional allies – especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey – are reportedly supporting the militants operating against Syria.