MESOP NEWS “FINAL DECISION” : PUTIN GOES WITH TEHRAN / Tehran Confers with Russia & Assad Regime in Moscow

April 14 –  2017  – By Scott Lucas – eaworldview – Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is in Moscow for talks with his Russian and Assad regime counterparts about the Syrian crisis.The conference comes two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had long discussions with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Lavrov then saw Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem on Thursday.

It is the first meeting among the three Foreign Ministers since October. No details have been given of Friday’s agenda, although it is likely to include a coordination of the line over last week’s Assad regime chemical attack on a town in northwest Syria and the US response, its first deliberate missile strikes on a regime airbase.

Lavrov may also discuss the international initiative, represented by Tillerson on Wednesday, for Moscow to distance itself from President Assad.  After reacting cautiously to the chemical attack, not denying the Assad regime’s responsibility, Iran has moved to a tougher line. High-level Iranian officials blamed a “third party” for use of nerve agent and chlorine, and the Supreme Leader claimed the US missile strikes were part of an alliance with the Islamic State: “Former American officials created Daesh or helped them, and the current officials are also strengthening Daesh or a group similar to it.” www.mesop.de