US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert
The U.S. on Tuesday warned Russia and the Syrian regime against any potential offensive on the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib.
"We would hold them responsible and we would hold them accountable for that, most especially for the use of chemical weapons,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.
“We would encourage Russia to make this point very clear to Damascus, that that will not be tolerated," she added.
Russia has deployed several frigates to the Mediterranean via the Bosphorus, an analysis of shipping traffic showed, part of what a Russian newspaper on Tuesday called Moscow's largest naval buildup since it entered the Syrian conflict in 2015.The reinforcement comes as Russia's ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, is believed to be considering an assault on the last big opposition-held enclave, Idlib in the north.Russia has accused the United States of building up its own forces in the Middle East in preparation for a possible strike on Syrian government forces.UN invites US and allies for Syria talks next monthOn Saturday, the Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen frigates sailed through Istanbul's Bosphorus towards the Mediterranean, Reuters pictures showed.The day before, the Pytlivy frigate and landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov were pictured sailing through the Turkish straits that connect the Black Sea with the Mediterranean. The Vishny Volochek missile corvette passed through earlier this month.The Izvestia newspaper said Russia had gathered its largest naval presence in the Mediterranean Sea since it intervened in Syria in 2015 turning the tide in Assad's favour.The force included 10 vessels, most of them armed with long-range Kalibr cruise missiles, Izvestia wrote, adding that more were on the way, and that two submarines had also been deployed. Ties to Russia no alternative to US, EU: Turkish FMRussia to hold biggest war games in nearly four decades
Russia reinforces naval forces in Mediterranean off Syrian coast
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu warned Friday that a possible military offensive on Idlib would be a "disaster".
“Preserving the de-escalation zone in Idlib, Syria is important in both humanitarian respects and the fight against terrorism," Çavuşoğlu said.
“Separating the civilians from the combatants in Idlib is important for everyone, but a solution through force would lead to a new wave of refugees and a humanitarian catastrophe.”
Iran will maintain its military presence in Syria despite U.S. pressure for its withdrawal, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday, revealing more details about a military cooperation deal that Tehran and Damascus signed this week.Iranian Defence Minister Amir Hatami visited Damascus on Saturday for talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and senior military officials. He signed a deal for military cooperation in a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, but details of the accord were not revealed."The continued presence of Iranian (military) advisers in Syria was part of this military cooperation agreement between Tehran and Damascus," the state news agency IRNA quoted Tehran's military attache to Damascus, Abolqassem Alinejad, as saying.Iran president defends economic performance before MPsThe accord also emphasised the importance of Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty, he said, adding that it came into effect on the day of its signing."Iran will help Syria in clearing minefields in different parts of the country... Iran will help Syria to rebuild the military factories that were damaged in the war," Alinejad said.Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have sent weapons and thousands of soldiers to Syria to help shore up Assad during the seven-year-long civil war there.Iran shuts down scores of military-run companiesU.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton reiterated last week Washington's call for Iran to remove all its forces from Syria.The United States has reimposed economic sanctions against Iran partly over its involvement in conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen as well as over its nuclear and missile programmes.Israel has accused Tehran of seeking a permanent military presence in Syria. Iran has repeatedly said its military presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Assad government and that it has no immediate plans to withdraw.Iran and Syria sign deal for military cooperationMore than 1,000 Iranians, including senior members of the elite Revolutionary Guards, have been killed in Syria since 2012.The Guards initially kept quiet about their role in the Syria conflict. But in recent years, as casualties have mounted, they have been more outspoken about their engagement, framing it as an existential struggle against Daesh.
Iran says to maintain military presence in Syria despite US pressure
Located near the Turkish border, Idlib in May was designated a “de-escalation zone” where acts of aggression are expressly forbidden.
Syria has only just begun to emerge from a devastating conflict that began in early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on protesters with unexpected ferocity.
UN officials estimate that hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict.